


Bring me to life

by Dahlia_Rose_83



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, my version of season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-04-16 11:24:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 91,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4623528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dahlia_Rose_83/pseuds/Dahlia_Rose_83
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Damon escaped from the gemini-prison-world only to find new problems waiting for him. Elena can't remember their relationship, Bonnie has sacrificed herself to save him and the anti-magic-spell still prevents him from entering Mystic Falls. And suddenly there's this strange new tension between him and Alaric...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been stuck in my head for months, so I finally decided to start writing it down. The story starts directly with Damon's return from the prison-world and will mostly follow the story-line. With some slight (or not so slight) changes here and there. But it will probably go more AU later on.
> 
> I borrowed the title from a song by Evanescence, that fit perfectly. And of course I don't own tVD or else this would have happened on the Show.

  
“I can't believe it. I thought you were gone.” Stefan whispered in awe. Damon let go of his brother and took a step back to look at him. “Well you didn't think I was gone-gone, did you? I promised you an eternity of misery.” he joked. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. It felt so good to be back home. To finally see his brother again. He hadn’t even realized how much he`d missed Stefan.

 “What about Bonnie?” the younger Salvatore finally asked and Damon felt a stab of guilt thinking of the witch. “She sacrificed herself so I could come back.” he admitted, before asking his brother not to tell anyone. “No sense making it harder than it already is.” he reasoned. “Let´s just tell the others that she wasn’t there. Tell them she moved on. Found peace.” And he hoped she had finally found peace. She deserved it. More than anyone else he knew.

 “So… where exactly were you? And how did you come back?” Stefan wanted to know. Damon didn’t even know where to start. “Well.. technically it was Mystic Falls. Only we were stuck reliving the same day over and over again. 1994 – you’d think the witches could`ve picked a better year for their space time purgatory. It was very depressing. As for how I came back – long story. Big flash of light. Two decades worth of jet lag. Witchy stuff, you know.” he shrugged, wondering if he was ever going to tell anyone the whole story. He thought not.

 "Sooo… why don’t we get the hell out of this depressing place? There are people I need to see.” he changed the topic. All of a sudden Stefan looked uncomfortable. “There’s something I’ve got to tell you first …” he muttered, avoiding eye-contact. Damon felt his stomach drop. What had happened while he wasn’t there? “Just tell me, Stefan. Whatever it is.” he prodded. His brother took a deep breath and then explained: “Elena was really miserable without you. So she had.. she had Alaric compel her and modify her memories. She… doesn’t remember loving you, Damon.”

 The older Salvatore took a moment to process this information. He felt conflicted just thinking about Elena. Of course he had missed her. But on the other hand he wasn’t ready to start that roller coaster again. Their relationship had been nothing but drama and trouble from day one. While caught in the otherworldly prison he had given it a lot of thought and he`d finally come to the conclusion that it would be better for the both of them to end it once and for all. They weren’t good for each other. They had proven that countless times. And he wasn’t ready for even more drama.

 Stefan was watching him warily, almost as if he was waiting for him to explode. “Alaric can give her all the memories back.” he said when Damon kept quiet. The dark haired vampire nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, okay. I’ll just… wait until he does that, then.” He didn’t know if it would make things easier or not. He just knew that they had to talk and it would be unfair to do that while Elena couldn’t even remember their relationship.

 “I guess I’ll just head home then. Take a shower, get changed…” he mused. “You can’t go home, Damon. The anti-magic-spell is still intact. We can’t enter Mystic Falls.” Stefan told him quietly. Great, this was just getting better. “Okay. Then I guess I’ll go shopping. I need some clothes. See you later, brother.” And without giving Stefan a chance to reply he left the crypt.

 ***

 The younger Salvatore stared after his brother thoughtfully. He hated that he had to be the one to give Damon all the bad news. But his brother had taken it a lot better than expected. And once Elena learned of Damon´s return she would ask Ric to give her the memories back and they could fix things between them.

 After a moment’s hesitation Stefan decided to head over to Whitmore College to talk to Elena and the others. Her dorm room was empty and she wasn't answering her phone, so he tried Alaric`s class room next, where he found Ric, Caroline and Matt in a discussion about Enzo. Just great. He had thought the guy would already be dead by now, but obviously Tripp had kept him alive to get information out of him. The vampire felt a stab of guilt when he heard Matt tell the others that Tripp had killed Ivy last night. He should`ve never gotten close to her. Her death was his fault.

 When the others started making plans to rescue Enzo he finally stepped into the room and admitted that he´d been the one who turned Enzo in, trying not to flinch under Caroline`s accusing glare. She actually seemed to like the guy, although Stefan couldn’t understand why. Enzo was a parasite. He was a bad influence on Damon and a danger to anyone else. But he was also Damon´s friend. So Stefan decided to bite the bullet and team up with Caroline to save Enzo, while Alaric would inform Elena of Damon`s return.

 The blonde was giving him grief the whole way to the cabin where Tripp was holding Enzo prisoner. Stefan flinched when she accused him of turning in Ivy as well. “You didn't want to deal with her anymore. You wanted her gone and now she is.” she snarked, proving just how disappointed she was in him. He knew he deserved her anger, but it still hurt. And it made him lash out.

 “Enzo turned Ivy in. Why am I suddenly the bad guy? I'm not the one threatening to turn in other vampires to save his own skin.” Which was obviously the wrong thing to say, because now Caroline really got mad. “Enzo gave him wrong leads. He protected us. The only one who turned in other vampires is you, Stefan. That's why you're helping. You’re feeling guilty for getting Damon's friend captured.” And damn, she knew him too well.

 “Okay, you’re right. Damon is my brother and I gave up on him. If rescuing his idiot friend is going to somehow make it up to him, that's exactly what I'm gonna do.” he admitted after a while. The blonde just snorted in disgust and Stefan felt like a little school boy, being told off by a teacher. She was really mad at him, he realized. And the worst thing was – he deserved it. He'd fucked it up. He had been a dick, just like she said back in Savannah.

 He was glad when they finally reached the cabin. The silence was getting to him. Caroline refusing to talk was further proof of just how mad she was. Usually she was full of chatter, even in dire situations. They entered the cabin, but it was empty. There was no trace of Enzo or anyone else and Stefan only hoped they weren’t too late. Because one thing was for sure: If Enzo died, Damon wouldn’t be the only one who would never forgive him.

 ***

 Meanwhile Alaric entered his office, feeling still a little shaken up after having told Elena on the phone that Damon was back. She hadn’t taken it as well as he`d hoped. Sighing he raked a hand through his hair and stopped dead in his tracks when he found Damon sitting in his chair, feet propped up on his desk. He also noticed the bottle of bourbon and two glasses on the desk and couldn’t help but smile. Typical Damon. “Professor Saltzman.” the dark haired vampire greeted him. “I can't believe you're back.” Ric whispered, staring at his friend in awe. Damon got up with a grin. “I am.” he whispered back, walking closer.

 Without hesitation Alaric pulled the other vampire into his arms and crushed him in a hug. He had thought he`d never see Damon again. Never get to touch him again. His emotions were nearly overwhelming him. “I missed you, buddy.” he admitted quietly, letting go of Damon, before his feelings could spin totally out of control. “Same here.” Damon agreed, filling the glasses and handing one to his friend. Ric took a sip and then decided to just get it over with.

 “Damon, look… I don´t know if Stefan told you, but… Elena…” he stammered. “Doesn’t remember our relationship. Yeah, I know.” the dark-haired vampire finished for him. Ric didn’t dare to look at him. “She was in really bad shape. Losing Bonnie and losing you… it was killing her.” he tried to explain. “She was miserable, I get it. No problem. Just uncompel her and let us get it over with.” Damon demanded.

 Alaric sighed in frustration. “I promised I would only give her those memories back when she asked for them. So until she asks…” he broke off, chancing a glance at his friend. He didn’t want to tell him about Elena`s reaction to finding him alive. He knew that Damon´s relationship with the brunette had been a complicated one and he hated making it worse, but he had promised.

  _> And you wouldn’t mind if she didn’t want him back. Then you could comfort him and wouldn’t have to share him with Elena< _a tiny voice in his head whispered. The teacher decided to ignore it, like he always had.

It was really typical. He had lost his humanity and come back from the dead as a vampire. An unkillable original vampire to top it off. He spent his days trying to ignore the blood-lust, wondering how long it would take him to snap and kill someone. And yet he hadn’t gotten over that silly little crush he used to have on his best friend. His best male friend. Who was in love with his step-daughter. How much worse could it get?

 “And what if she doesn’t ask?” Damon wanted to know. Alaric cringed. “She will ask. Eventually. You know her. But… she's happy right now, Damon. For the first time in months. And I can’t take that away from her until she asks me to.” he tried to explain. Damon heaved a sigh. “I want her to be happy, Ric. It`s just… there`s been so much drama and misunderstandings between us.” The teacher chanced another look at his best friend. “I know. And I`m sorry to make it worse.”

 “Not really your fault. You just did what she wanted, right? We both know how stubborn she can be.” the dark-haired vampire muttered with a wry smile. Ric felt relieved that Damon didn’t blame him. “If she doesn’t ask me by tomorrow, I’ll talk to her. Okay?” he offered. Maybe he could make Elena see sense. Because as much as it would hurt him to see her and Damon together, he wanted his friend to be happy. He wanted both of them to be happy.

 “Okay, sounds good.” Damon agreed. Ric drained his glass and was about to grab the bottle when he sensed another presence nearby. Damon had obviously noticed it as well. “Are you just going to keep standing there all hulky and brooding or are you joining us?” he asked. Jeremy entered the room reluctantly. “Why didn't Bonnie come back?” he asked quietly.

 Damon averted his eyes. He should`ve known this was coming, but he wasn’t ready to face the teen yet. He would never be ready for this conversation. “Because she wasn't there. It was just me.” he lied, glancing at Jeremy. He saw the teen`s shoulders slump and felt bad for lying to him. But it was easier this way. And it wasn’t his fault the stupid witch had decided to play martyr once again and sacrifice herself for him.

 “Bonnie wasn't there with me, Jeremy. Because she found peace. She's in a better place.” he tried to console the teen. And he really hoped he was right. After everything the witch had done she deserved peace. Jeremy just gave him a blank look. Then he stormed out.

 “So.. Bonnie wasn’t there?” Alaric asked after about a minute of tense silence. Damon shook his head. “She was there. She… played the martyr again. Sacrificed herself to save me.” he admitted quietly. He jumped slightly when he felt Ric`s hand on his shoulder. “I won`t tell anyone.” the teacher promised. Damon looked at him hesitantly, surprised to see the soft smile on his face. “I know that it wasn’t your fault. Bonnie always puts everyone else first. She sacrificed herself for her friends often enough.” Ric pointed out.

 “We weren’t really friends.” Damon argued. “You really believe that?” Okay, obviously Ric could still read him pretty well. “We… might`ve become something like friends over the last couple of months.” he amended. The teacher only grinned. “Yeah, who could resist that Salvatore-charm, huh?” he joked. The older Salvatore grinned back and was about to retort, when his phone started ringing. Looking at the caller ID he got a surprise.

 “So you didn't forget my number.” he muttered by way of greeting. “I don’t really know what I`m doing…but I think we should meet face to face. So… come by my dorm?” Elena asked hesitantly. The dark-haired vampire was surprised that she felt ready to talk to him already. But he figured there was no time like the present. Best to get it over with so they could both finally move on. “Sure. See you in a little bit.” he agreed. She asked him to relay a message to Alaric, before hanging up.

 “Elena wants me to meet her at her dorm. And she asked me to tell you that Jo said if you want to avoid a complicated relationship, you don’t have to hide behind compulsion to do it.” he told the teacher. “Anything I need to know?” Ric blushed. “Yeah… I’ll tell you later, okay? You just agreed to meet Elena, didn’t you?” Damon decided to get the meeting over with and question his friend later. “Alright. But I want details later, understood?”

 “Fine, but you better bring bourbon.” the teacher warned. “Wouldn´t dream of showing up without it.” he promised with a grin. “Good… Well, good luck then.” The older Salvatore wondered about the teacher`s tight smile and the strange tone of his voice. But he figured Ric was probably still feeling guilty for compelling Elena. “Thanks. I’ll give you a call if we need you. You know, for the de-compelling.” he joked. Ric nodded, still looking uneasy. Damon patted him on the back and left.

 ***

 When he reached the dorm Elena wasn’t there, so he just let himself in and snooped around a bit. She had been thorough. There were a lot of pictures all over the room, but not one of him. He turned when he heard the door open, expecting to see Elena. Instead he was faced by a stranger, who was pointing a gun at him. Damon reacted instinctively. He felt his fangs descending, getting ready to attack. When the guy fired a vervain dart at him, he caught it and threw it back, before speeding over and catching the guy in a headlock. “Who are you?” he demanded. The guy didn’t answer and suddenly the vampire heard gunshots behind himself. He had no time to react as a couple of vervain darts embedded themselves in his back and everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter this time. And thanks for the lovely comments.

After Damon had left, Alaric tried to busy himself with preparing lesson notes, trying to keep his mind off of his best friend. All too soon the ringing of his phone disturbed the silence. He looked at it and sighed when he saw Elena`s name on the screen. Knowing he should be happy for his friend he answered. “I guess you want your memories back.” he guessed, trying to keep his tone light and cheerful.

“Ric… I think Damon´s in trouble.” The brunette muttered hesitantly. “What happened?” Ric demanded to know. “He wasn’t there when I reached the dorm … it looks like there was a fight. And… Caroline just called. Tripp knows that she`s a vampire. I think he came for her and got Damon instead.” The teacher felt his stomach drop. If Tripp had Damon they had to hurry. His best friend was in grave danger. He tried not to panic. “Do you have any idea where he is?”

“Matt thinks he`s on his way to Mystic Falls. He kills vampires by driving them across the border.” By now Alaric was gripping the edge of his desk so hard that he felt it splinter beneath his fingers. “Okay, calm down.” he murmured, not really knowing if he was talking to Elena or himself. They had to come up with a plan. And fast. “We have to intercept him before he reaches the border.” It was the only way. 

“Yeah, that`s what Stefan said as well. Caroline already talked to her mom. The sheriff said she can shut down Route 13. Tripp will have to double back and there's only two other ways across the border.” Elena explained. Ric nodded. “Okay, that`s good. Do you want me to pick you up?” he asked. “No, Stefan is already here. He says you should meet Caroline at Old Miller Road. We`ll try the other way.”

“Good. I`m on my way. We'll get him back.” he tried to reassure the brunette, before hanging up and heading for the door, where he almost collided with Jo. Great, just what he needed right now. “What's the rush? Occult studies emergency?” the doctor snarked. “Sorry, I have someplace to be.” Ric told her, trying to shove her out of his way, but she wouldn’t budge. “Why don't you just compel me out of the way?” The teacher sighed. He really had no time for this.

“My best friend just came back from the dead, but now I have to save him from a vampire hunter, before he is driven across an anti-magic border and killed again. Probably for good this time. So get out of my way.” he grumbled, pushing her aside and heading out. He could kill Elena for trying to set him up with the doctor. She was hot, okay. But he`d learned his lesson with Meredith. He wasn’t going down that road again.

***

Stefan gasped when Elena brought the car to a stop with screeching tires, vowing silently never to let her drive his car again. They both got out and looked around. There was no trace of Tripp`s van yet, which meant they still had time. Stefan opened the hood of the car and started pulling out parts of the engine. “You don’t have to destroy the whole car. I think just opening the hood would`ve been enough.” Elena reasoned. Stefan ignored her and continued destroying the engine. “It`s not your fault.” the brunette said softly.

Damn, why did she still know him so well? “Yes it is.” he argued. “If I hadn’t turned Enzo in we wouldn’t be here right now.” It was all his fault. If he hadn’t given up on his brother, this stupid feud with Enzo wouldn’t have started. Ivy would still be alive. And Damon wouldn’t be in danger, only hours after coming back. Elena didn’t say anything, which was fine by him. He didn´t want comforting words. He just wanted to save his brother. “There’s a van coming.” the brunette suddenly announced. Stefan looked up. “That`s Tripp.” he confirmed.

“You should hide. He knows what you look like.” Elena warned. “He thinks I`m on his side.” the younger Salvatore protested. “And what if Enzo told him different? Besides, he´s more likely to stop to help an innocent girl. Get into the car. Call the others and tell them he`s here.” she ordered and Stefan reluctantly obeyed. 

He saw the van slow to a stop as Elena waived her arms to get Tripp`s attention. “Thank god. We were on our way to a party when the car just stopped without warning. Just like that. Can you help us?” she asked, blinking up at Tripp innocently. “Sorry, I don't know anything about cars.” Tripp declined. Obviously he wasn’t falling for her damsel in distress act. “Oh, okay. Maybe you could give us a ride then? We`re kinda stranded here. My phone won't even work. Can you imagine that?” Elena tried again, acting as helpless and innocent as she could. But again she was shot down. So time for plan B.

Stefan had informed Alaric of the situation and now looked up just in time to see Elena cut all pretense and lunge herself at Tripp, who in turn slammed down on the gas and headed straight for Stefan`s car. The vampire sped out just in time. The van crashed into his car, flipped over and landed upside down on the other side of the border.

For a second Stefan was frozen in shock. Then without pausing to think about it, he ran to the van, clutching his stomach in pain once he crossed the border and his gunshot wound appeared. He tried to ignore the pain and continued towards the van. “Elena!” She didn’t answer and he couldn’t spot her anywhere. But he also didn’t have time to look for her now. He had to save his brother. That was all that mattered. He broke open the back of the van and rushed inside, seeing Damon bleeding from the wound their father had inflicted on him back in 1864 and Enzo spitting up blood. Both were chained to the van. Without looking at Enzo he headed straight for his brother, but Damon frantically shook his head and demanded that he save Enzo. 

Cursing under his breath Stefan broke the chains holding Enzo, before turning back to his brother and freeing him as well. Using all the strength he had left he dragged both of them out of the van and towards the border. “Come on, just a little further.” he begged. His vision was blurring and he was breathing hard. The pain was nearly unbearable. But he couldn't give up now. Just a few more steps... He jumped when Damon´s weight was suddenly lifted from him and looked over to see Alaric, bleeding from a nasty chest wound. He nodded his thanks to the teacher and continued dragging Enzo to safety, while Alaric helped Damon. Time seemed to slow down and he was scared they wouldn't make it. Every step was harder than the last.

After what seemed like an eternity they finally reached the barrier and dropped down to the ground. Stefan breathed a sigh of relief as his wound slowly healed. He sat up and looked around worriedly, but the others were healing as well, all of them coughing and groaning. They had made it just in time. He jumped when Caroline appeared seemingly out of nowhere and started looking them over. “Oh my god, are you alright?” she asked hysterically. “We`ll be fine.” Stefan assured and was pleasantly surprised when she fussed over him as well, after making sure the other three guys were going to be okay.

“Where`s Elena?” The blonde`s words finally made him realize that he hadn’t seen her since the crash. He had been too preoccupied saving his brother to really notice. Looking around frantically he felt his blood run cold when he finally spied her. “Oh no. Elena.” She was laying on her back on the other side of the border, utterly still.


	3. Chapter 3

Stefan stared at the horrible scene, too shocked to move. It felt like a nightmare. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Elena lay completely motionless. A dark-haired woman was bent over her, pumping on her chest, performing CPR. But he knew it was too late.

“Jo, you have to get her across the border. It's stripping away the magic. She´ll die.” Alaric shouted to the woman, but she ignored him and continued her ministrations. Stefan knew he couldn’t help Elena. She was laying way out of his reach and he wouldn’t survive another trip across the border so soon. He gripped Damon´s arm in fear, afraid his brother might try anyways, but Damon looked like he was frozen to the spot. They all watched the woman working furiously, trying to save Elena. Stefan tried to rip his gaze away from the scene, feeling tears pricking his eyes, when suddenly Elena gasped for air and started coughing up water.

They all stared at her in astonishment. “It`s impossible. She can’t be alive.” Alaric whispered. But Elena was very obviously alive. She was still coughing, taking in deep gulps of air. “She`s okay. The ambulance is on the way.” the woman shouted, before whispering something to Elena. “It`s impossible.” Alaric repeated and Stefan had to agree with him. Elena must have landed on the other side of the border when the van crashed. There was no way she could still be alive. All the magic would be stripped away by now.

“Oh my god. She`s… she`s human again.” Caroline exclaimed suddenly. Which really made no sense. But it was the only explanation. “Is that even possible?” Ric asked in astonishment. They all watched the dark-haired woman making her way over. “She`ll be okay. I got to her just in time.” she assured. “She´s… human?” Ric asked tentatively. “Yes, she is. I’ll try to explain later. But right now, you guys should get out of here. I’ll make sure Elena gets to hospital safely.” She promised, shooting Alaric a knowing glance.

“Okay, yeah. She`s right.” the teacher agreed. Stefan nodded and cast one last glance in Elena`s direction, making sure she really was okay, before turning and walking off. He could hear the others following him and jumped when someone clapped him on the back. “Thanks for the save, brother.” Damon said sincerely. Stefan only nodded, still too overwhelmed by all that had just happened.

“And you, too Ric. Although you took your time.” The younger Salvatore looked up when his brother left his side to walk next to Alaric. He could hear them starting to argue, something about bourbon and doctors. It made him smile and he finally released the breath he had been holding. They were all safe. For now at least.

For a second he met Enzo`s eyes and his smile vanished. The dark-haired vampire was smirking at him and Stefan had to bite his tongue to keep from making a snide comment. Even more so when the dark-haired vampire turned to Caroline and they started talking. Damon was still engaged in conversation with Ric. Feeling like a fifth wheel Stefan quickly excused himself from the others and went in the opposite direction.

***

A short while later Damon slumped down on the couch and looked around Alaric`s living room, while the teacher fetched them drinks. “I’ll bring bourbon next time.” he promised, after accepting a glass. “I had no time to get some earlier. Been a bit tied up.” Ric chuckled at the joke. “I’ll let it slide this time. But the next drinks are on you.” He settled on the couch next to Damon and for a while they drank in comfortable silence. Their friendship had always worked without many words.

“So… Elena is human again.” Damon finally mused. “Yeah. Pretty amazing, huh?” The teacher muttered. He was still trying to wrap his head around that. “Are you afraid that`ll change your.. relationship?” he asked tentatively. Damon shrugged. “We`ll see, I guess. At least she`s still alive, right? And I think she`ll be happy.” It was no secret that Elena had never chosen this life. She had told Alaric herself and he could relate. He`d never wanted to become a vampire either.

“And… that woman who saved Elena was your new doctor-lady friend?” Damon changed the topic. Ric rolled his eyes. “She´s not my doctor-lady friend. She works at the hospital here. I`m not interested in her, but Elena tried to play matchmaker and set us up.” he explained. “I gather it didn’t go so well then?” the older Salvatore prodded. “It was a disaster.” the teacher grumbled, thinking back to that fateful night. “Yeah? What happened? Come on, I want details.”

With a sigh Alaric complied. Damon wouldn’t let it go. “Well… we were at this corn maze. Like I said, Elena had set us up. We were talking when out of nowhere a car crashed into the maze. Suddenly there was chaos, injured and bleeding people everywhere. It looked like a horror movie. And while Jo, Elena and a few others did their best to save lives, I was battling the blood-lust, fighting the urge to drain each and every one of those injured, bleeding people. And afterwards I tried to compel Jo to forget all about it, but it didn’t work.”

“Well.. that does sound like a pretty crappy date.” Damon had to admit. “No kidding. I know Elena only means well, but I wish she`d just stop meddling in my love life.” Ric grumbled. “She probably wouldn’t see the need if you actually had a love life.” the dark-haired vampire pointed out helpfully. His friend groaned. “Don`t you start as well.” he warned. “What? Just thinking practical, Ric. Have you gotten laid at all since coming back from the dead?”

“Are you serious? I had other things on my mind. For the last four months all I could think about was when I was gonna get my next sip of blood, always afraid I would finally screw up and kill somebody. Wondering why I came back to life just to be this... thing.” he admitted. He hadn’t told anyone that he was having so much trouble adapting to his new life. He had told Elena that he hated being a vampire, but nothing specific. The kids had enough problems of their own. He hadn’t wanted to bother them with his as well. But finally saying it aloud felt good and he felt some of the tension drain away.

“Searching for you was the only thing that could take my mind off of it.” Damn, he hadn’t really meant to say that aloud, but now that he´d started talking it seemed like he couldn’t stop. “Wow, I`m flattered.” the dark-haired vampire commented and Ric had to fight the urge to punch him. Of course Damon noticed his struggle. “Have you told anyone you’re having problems?” he asked. Ric shook his head and Damon rolled his eyes. “Typical. So you`ve been trying to handle it by yourself, but it didn’t work?” 

“Pretty much, yeah.” Alaric admitted. “Well, lucky for you I´m back. I’ll teach you to become a proper vampire.” Damon decided. Ric blinked in surprise. “You´ll… teach me?” he repeated, provoking another eye-roll. “Don`t look so shocked, Ric. I won`t make you drain a bunch of sorority girls or something like that.” Damon promised. “Although it could be fun.”

The teacher was still a little hesitant. What if there was another way? Elena was human again. Maybe he could… Damon seemed to sense his thoughts. “Don`t even think about it. We have no idea what exactly happened to Elena and if it would work on you as well. If it goes wrong you`ll die. Probably for good this time, since the other side no longer exists.” he pointed out. “And I won`t simply stand by and watch you kill yourself.”

Ric sighed in defeat. He had to admit that Damon was right. And if he had to stay a vampire he could use some help. Hell, he would need help. And Damon was probably his best shot. The dark-haired vampire was usually very good at controlling himself (at least as long as no-one hurt his feelings) and crazy as it was, Ric trusted him. “Okay, professor Salvatore. Teach me then.” he joked weakly. Damon chuckled. “Alright. First lesson: Alcohol helps with the cravings.” He raised his glass in a mock salute and drained it. Alaric followed suit, before grabbing the bottle and refilling both glasses. “You learn fast.” Damon commented with a grin.

“Okay, I’ve got a new excuse to get drunk. Hate to tell you, but I already knew that. What else?” Ric asked. “Coffee also helps. It's the caffeine. It circulates through our veins and it warms our body so we're not so cold to the touch.” Damon lectured. “What about the blood-lust? Whenever I smell blood I feel like I`m about to snap. It´s so hard to fight it.” Ric admitted, surprising himself. He usually didn’t talk about his problems and fears so openly. Not even to his best friend. He and Damon had had a few heart-to-hearts in the past, but only when they were really drunk. Or later, when Damon had been talking to his grave. However this open sincerity was new. Maybe he had kept it all bottled up for so long that now it was just rushing out.

He almost expected Damon to make fun of him, but strangely enough he didn’t. Instead he murmured: “Yeah, that`s the hardest part.” They shared a quick look and the dark-haired vampire continued: “Stupid as it sounds, when you feel like it`s consuming you, try to think of something else.” Ric gave him an incredulous look. “That´s it? Try to think of something else? That`s the best tip you got?” He could feel his anger rising. How the hell was that supposed to help him?

“Hey, no need to take my head off.” Damon grumbled and Ric took a deep breath to calm himself. “Sorry, I get angry pretty easily nowadays.” he apologized. “Yeah, that was to be expected. As a vampire all of your natural behaviors get sort of amplified. And sorry to tell you, buddy, but you`ve always had quite a temper. And a tendency to violence. I should know. You tried to kill me, remember?” The teacher snorted. “Yeah and you did kill me. Twice.” he reminded his friend.

“I apologized. You know that I have quite a temper as well.” Yes, Alaric did know and he forgave Damon for killing him both times. He`d forgiven him a long time ago. “Alright. So I`m a violent maniac now. Great. What do I do about it?” he steered the conversation back to the original topic. Damon sighed and hesitantly met his eyes. “When you feel the hunger, the desire to feed, to kill, you tell yourself that you're going to get through it. That you're strong enough to fight it. You take a deep breath and you concentrate on something that makes you feel human. Some emotion that´s stronger than the blood-lust.”

Alaric felt mesmerized by Damon´s eyes and the honesty in his voice. He couldn’t tear his gaze away. “Like what?” he asked in a whisper. Damon bit his lip, hesitated just a little. “At first I always thought of Katherine. Of my love for her. I reminded myself that I would see her again and that she would expect me to be the same guy she fell in love with. I wanted to keep my humanity for her. Pretty stupid, looking back on it now. But it worked.” he admitted sheepishly.

Ric had never seen his friend look so vulnerable and felt the stupid urge to draw him into his arms. “So… love is stronger than blood-lust.” he muttered, unable to break the sudden tension. Damon shrugged, still holding his gaze. “Love, friendship… I think any positive emotion would work. Thinking of Stefan helped as well. Remembering our childhood days, when we were still close.”   
Damon´s unusual honesty was even more disturbing than the intense look he was giving Alaric. The teacher breathed a sigh of relief when his friend finally looked away and the tension eased a little. Obviously his feelings for Damon had also magnified now that he was a vampire. Just great. Like he didn’t have enough problems already. 

“Well… I`m beat. Maybe we should head to bed and continue my lessons tomorrow.” he suggested. “Sounds like a plan. Can I crash here? Since my house is out of the question.” Damon asked. And although he was sure it was a bad idea, Alaric found himself nodding. “Of course. You can use the guest room. This way.” he showed his friend the small room, told him where to find the bathroom and then bid him goodnight. But once in bed he lay awake for half the night, thinking.

***

Meanwhile Stefan was still walking around aimlessly. He had really fucked it up. There was no way around it. He`d disappointed all of his friends. Given up on his brother, when no-one else had. Elena might have forgiven him, but she`d always been the forgiving type. And she had given up hope as well. He wasn’t sure if Damon had forgiven him. If Damon even knew yet. He probably didn’t deserve forgiveness. 

But he needed it. Desperately. When he suddenly spied Caroline he hurried to catch up with her, flinching at the cold look she gave him. “So, am I your last stop on the Stefan Salvatore apology tour?” she asked snidely. Stefan couldn’t meet her eyes. “Could we just get past this, please?“ he asked. Caroline crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. How did she always manage to make him feel so nervous?

Because she was his best friend, he answered the question for himself. He remembered Lexi joking that he`d replaced her for another blonde. And she had been pretty close to the truth. He had felt lost without Lexi and somehow Caroline had taken her place without him really noticing. They had a lot in common. Like Lexi, Caroline always saw the best in everyone. And she was always there when he needed her. Which made his behavior towards her even worse.

“Caroline, just… tell me what you want me to do, so we can go back to being friends.” he nearly begged. The blonde looked torn. “Yeah well, you know what Stefan? After all of this, I… I think I don't want to be your friend anymore.” she finally whispered. He felt like he`d just been shot to the heart and could only watch as she walked away. Had he really lost her for good?

Sighing he shoved his hands into his pockets and turned away, jumping in surprise when a dark figure appeared in front of him. Just when he thought it couldn’t get worse. “Enzo…” he greeted the other vampire warily, getting ready to duck an attack. He might have saved Enzo`s life a few hours ago, but since he`d been the one to endanger it in the first place he doubted that it would count for much. Not to forget Enzo hated him.

But the dark-haired vampire didn’t attack. He just looked at him coolly. “Just a tip, mate. Stay away from her. You don´t deserve her.” he drawled and Stefan felt his anger rise. He didn’t see Caroline in that way. She was his best friend, nothing more. But still he couldn’t help but shoot back: “And you do?” Enzo smirked. “Probably not. But that never stopped me. And neither will you.” And before Stefan could utter a reply he was gone. The younger Salvatore sighed in frustration and went off in search of a place to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you really thought I would kill Elena? Really? Well, I was thinking about it, truth be told. It was a very tempting thought. But then I realized that I'd still need her for the rest of the story. Damn it! So I decided to let her switch places with Ric instead. But don't worry, Ric will definetly stay a vampire, no matter what.


	4. Chapter 4

After a rather weird breakfast of coffee and blood-bags, Alaric and Damon made their way to Whitmore Hospital to visit Elena. They hadn’t continued their conversation from last night so far. Damon was very quiet this morning and Ric was glad for it. He felt awkward around the other vampire, after having been confronted with the true depth of his feelings for him last night. Of course he`d known that he had a crush on Damon for a while now. He`d admitted that to himself even before he died. But he`d never thought much about it. He had tried to forget about it, to ignore it. 

But now it looked like he wouldn’t be able to ignore it much longer. With everything heightened thanks to vampirism and Damon back in the picture it was probably only a matter of time until he fucked it up and spilled the beans. Or until Damon noticed something. Maybe it would be better if the dark-haired vampire resumed his relationship with Elena. It would mean spending less time with Alaric and as much as the teacher would hate that, it would also give him less chance of revealing his true feelings for his friend.

“I’ll wait here. Give you two a chance to talk in private.” he decided when they reached Elena`s room. Truth be told he didn’t want to see their happy reunion. It was going to be hard enough to be happy for them. Damon looked a little uncertain, but finally nodded and went in after a short knock on the door. 

Elena was lying in bed, propped up on a bunch of pillows. She bit her lip when he entered. “Hey, how are you feeling?” Damon asked softly. The brunette shrugged. “Pretty good, considering I almost died yesterday. Again.” she replied. He noticed that she didn’t meet his eyes and sighed inwardly. This was going to be so awkward. He wished they could just get it over with already.

“So… you’re human again.” He winced at the lame words. Way to state the obvious. “Yeah, I am.” Well, at least Elena wasn’t much better. They spent a few moments in awkward silence, until she finally found the courage to look at him directly. “Alaric`s compulsion wore off when I crossed the border. I… remember everything now. The good things and the bad things.” she started. Damon nodded. “Yeah, it was quite a roller coaster ride, huh?” he mused with a smile.

Elena smiled back, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She looked troubled. “Damon, look… I remember that I loved you. I remember how you made me feel and how much I missed you. And part of me just wants to continue where we left off.” He waited patiently for her to go on, knowing the big but was about to come. “But… I`m human again. I got another chance to live the life I always wanted. To… grow up, maybe even have kids…” Her eyes were filling with tears as she whispered the last part.

“And I don’t fit into that life.” Damon finished for her. “I`m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I really thought you and me… that would be forever.” she assured him. He couldn’t help but smile at her fumbling attempts to console him. She should know him well enough to see that he wasn’t mad at her. But obviously she was afraid he`d go on a killing spree again. The idea wasn't so far fetched after all. So he decided to let her off the hook. 

“I understand, Elena. And I won`t do anything stupid, don´t worry. You and me… I think we were doomed from the start. I`m not good for you. Hell, we`re not good for each other. I think we proved that often enough, didn’t we? Maybe it`s better this way.” Elena looked relieved, even if a bit doubtful. She obviously hadn’t expected him to give up on her so easily. “I had a lot of time to think, while I was stuck in that prison world. I think I did the right thing, back when I broke up with you the first time. I could never really give you what you need.”

“Does that mean we`ll stay friends and you won`t kill someone as soon as you’re out of here?” she asked tentatively. “Yes, we`ll stay friends. And I won`t kill anyone. Ric is right outside, waiting for me. He`d never let me go on a killing spree anyways.” Damon joked. “Damon!” the brunette scolded and he rolled his eyes. She`d never really gotten his humor. “I won`t kill anyone.” he assured. “Promise?” she demanded. “Pinkie swear.” the older Salvatore shot back with a grin, holding up his little finger. This time he managed to coax a laugh out of her. 

“Good. I don’t want to lose you. Even if we`re not together anymore, I need you in my life. Just like Stefan.” she let him know. Damon nodded. For once he would follow his brother´s example and stay her friend. Like he`d said, it was never meant to be anyways. They´d had a fun time, with many ups and downs. More downs than ups, actually. And truth be told he was glad to finally get a clean break. No more drama. He`d had enough of that to last more than a lifetime.

Both of them jumped in surprise when the door opened. A young man with dark hair and sharp features entered the room, carrying a bouquet of flowers. “Hey, Elena. Can I come in?” he asked. Quite unnecessarily, since he was already in the room. “Yes, come in.” the brunette said with a smile, before pointing to the flowers. “Are those for me?” He handed her the bouquet. “Of course they are. I heard you had an accident and almost drowned. How did you manage that?” he asked, looking at Elena curiously. “Too many jello shots, I guess.” she shrugged it off. Damon recognized the smile she gave the guy as her flirty one. And it hurt. He would be lying if he said it didn’t. But it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as he thought it would. She was moving on and so should he.

“Sorry, if I interrupted something. I think we haven`t met, yet. I`m Liam.” the guy introduced himself. Damon couldn’t help but notice how the guy was seizing him up. Checking out the competition probably. “Damon Salvatore. And you’re not interrupting. I was just leaving.” he decided. “I´ll see you around.” he promised Elena, before leaving the room. Yes, he should definitely move on as well.

***

Alaric was pacing the hallway, trying not to listen in on Damon and Elena`s conversation. He hated hospitals. Had seen too many already in his life. The smell had always made him feel slightly nauseous and now with heightened senses it was even worse. He flinched when suddenly the doors at the other end of the hallway burst open. He could smell the blood even before he saw the nurse pushing a guy in a wheelchair, who was bleeding from a head wound and complaining that he was fine.

Ric tore his gaze away with some difficulty, but it didn’t do much good. He could still smell the blood and it made his gums ache, despite the fact that he had emptied a blood-bag not even an hour ago. Thinking back to Damon`s instructions from last night he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, which only heightened the smell of blood. Suppressing a growl he tried to concentrate on something else. Unbidden the image of Damon flashed before his closed eyes. Ric remembered the way the other vampire had sat next to him last night. How he had looked at him. The sound of his voice.

And just like that the urge to tear the bleeding guys throat out was gone. Alaric opened his eyes in surprise, but not even looking at the still complaining guy made the blood-lust return. Fuck, it actually worked. He smiled slightly, but it quickly turned into a frown when he spied Jo coming towards him. “Good morning.” she greeted him with a smile. Was that woman really too dense to take a hint? “Hey. I`m just here to visit Elena.” he explained. The doctor nodded. “Don´t worry, she`s fine. I’ve run some tests and there are no complications. I`m already releasing her today.” she let Ric know. “Okay, that`s good.” he murmured. 

For a moment they just stood there awkwardly, not really looking at each other. “Look, I know Elena set us up for that date, but… I`m not looking for a relationship right now. There’s too much going on in my life already.” Alaric finally broke the silence. “Yeah, I get that. Typical for me. The first hot guy I meet in ages turns out to be a vampire with issues.” Jo muttered and he couldn’t help but smile. “How did you know?” he asked.

The doctor shrugged. “I had my suspicions. Especially about Elena, actually. I was sure after you tried to compel me.” He was looking at her closely. “Elena said she doesn’t think you’re taking vervain.” Jo didn’t say anything. “Which means you’re a witch.” he concluded. “I used to be a witch, but I don’t practice. Not anymore.” she let him know. “You just stopped? I didn't know witches could do that.” 

Jo just shrugged. “It`s complicated. And a long story. I could tell you all about it, but that would probably be called a date.” He smiled. She wasn’t giving up so easily. But even while she was beautiful and easy to talk to, he didn’t feel inclined to date her. “Then I guess we`d better end the discussion here.” he muttered, noticing that she looked a little disappointed.  
   
Both turned their heads when Damon joined them in the hallway. “It`s the witchy-doctor. You're gonna be in real high demand with a bunch of vampires who want to be human again, if you could repeat that little trick that you did at the border with Elena yesterday.” he greeted Jo. She looked troubled at his words. “Hate to tell you, but saving Elena`s life was a matter of a treatable death cause, perfect timing and fear of losing one of my best students. One-hundred-percent unrepeatable, which is why you will tell no one.”   
   
Alaric couldn’t help but feel disappointed at her words. Part of him had actually been hoping he might become human again. But now he had to come to terms with the fact that he was really stuck with being a vampire. He met Damon´s eyes for a second and knew that his friend could see what he was thinking.  
   
Before Damon had a chance to comment on it, Ric asked him about his talk with Elena. “Yeah, we cleared things up. She just got another visitor. Dark-haired guy, Liam or something like that.” he drawled. “That would be Liam Davis. Valedictorian, straight A's freshman year taking junior-level classes, not to mention medical royalty. Not so bad on the eyes either.” Jo commented, giving Damon a dark look. She was obviously pissed about having been interrupted.  
   
“Well, I’ve got to go now. My patients are waiting.” she muttered and was about to leave, when she suddenly turned back to look at Ric. “Listen… Hospital fundraiser's tonight. If you don’t have plans already you could come.” The teacher barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Did that woman never give up? “I’ll think about it.” She smiled and finally left.  
   
Alaric turned to Damon and found the other vampire grinning at him. “Don`t even start.” he warned. “She really got the hots for you, buddy.” Damon noted anyways. This time Ric did roll his eyes. “But I`m not interested. And the sooner she finally gets that the better.” he grumbled, before changing the subject: “So… you and Elena?”  
   
Damon sighed. “We talked and decided that it`s for the best to get a clean break.” His words took the teacher completely by surprise. “But… she remembers, doesn’t she? The compulsion wore off?” he asked. “It did. But.. she`s human again, Ric. She`s got another shot at the life she always wanted. I don´t fit into that life. I never did.” the dark-haired vampire explained, while they left the hospital. Ric didn’t know what to say. Part of him felt bad for his friend, but another part, the one he tried desperately to ignore, couldn’t help but cheer. Which was ridiculous really. Even if Damon was single, he wouldn’t stand a chance.  
   
“I`m sorry, Damon.” he finally whispered. They had reached the parking lot and got into Ric`s car. Damon shrugged. “Don`t be. It`s better this way. Our relationship was nothing but drama anyways. We weren’t good for each other. At least now we get a clean break. She`s already moving on and so will I.” he reasoned. Alaric looked doubtful. That didn’t sound like Damon at all.  
   
“Oh don’t give me that look, Ric. I had a lot of time to think back in 1994 prison world. I’ve been an idiot. My obsession for Katherine brought nothing but trouble and heartbreak. And I had to realize that it was the same with Elena. I was obsessing over her just as much. Probably because she looks like Katherine. It`s not healthy and it will get me nowhere.” The teacher still didn’t look like he believed him. “You realized your obsession is unhealthy?” he repeated.  
   
“Okay, maybe Bon-Bon helped a bit with that realization.” Damon admitted. “But really thinking about it I had to admit that she`s right. And I decided I would be better off staying far away from the Petrova-women from now on. They`re nothing but trouble anyways.” Ric couldn’t really argue with that. Isobel had been nothing but trouble as well. “Okay. So you won`t snap and start killing innocent people as soon as I turn my back on you?” Alaric made sure.  
   
Damon rolled his eyes. “No, Ric. I promise I won`t snap and start killing people.” he repeated. “I’ve decided to use my energy far more constructively. By helping my best friend to become a proper vampire. And once we finished your training, we`ll start looking for a way to get rid of that stupid anti-magic-spell, that keeps me from entering my own home. I mean, who´s even looking after my house now?” he wanted to know.  
   
“Jeremy. Although I think he`s mostly emptying your liquor cabinets.” Ric had to admit. “You let Jeremy Gilbert steal my liquor?” Damon asked with a horrified expression. “I had no choice. Not like I could stop him from here. Not like I’ve been much of a help at all. He´s been on a downward spiral since Bonnie`s death and I don’t really know how to help him.” the teacher said with a sigh. Damon didn’t reply. He just kept staring out of the window.  
   
“It`s not your fault, Damon. It was her choice to sacrifice herself. That`s just who she was.” Ric tried to comfort him. “Yeah, always the martyr.” the other vampire muttered. “Weirdly enough, I almost miss her.” he admitted. The teacher didn’t know what to say. There were no words that could comfort Damon. He didn’t even know what the other vampire had been going through for the past four months.   
   
“Your lessons are already working, by the way.” he tried to change the subject. “Yeah?” Damon asked, turning to look at him. “There was a guy with a head-wound while I was waiting for you. The blood was tempting, but I managed to control my urges. Took a deep breath and thought of something else, like you said.” Ric let him know. “Cool. What were you thinking of?”  
   
“You.” The word slipped out before he could stop it and Ric inwardly cursed himself. Think before you talk, damn it! he scolded himself. He could practically feel Damon`s eyes on himself. Gripping the steering wheel tighter he stared straight ahead. “Me? I`m flattered, Ric.” The other vampire was grinning. He could tell without looking at him. “Well, you said friendship, right? And you’re my best friend. So you’re the most obvious choice.” he tried to reason. “When you put it like that…” Damon agreed and Ric breathed a sigh of relief. That was close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so maybe the break-up was too easy. What do you think? Doesn't mean it has to stay this easy, right?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to all Dalaric-fans, but Damon and Ric don't appear in this chapter. No idea how that happened. Really. I blame Caroline. Or maybe Stefan. Probably both of them. Don't worry though, the next chapter will be all Dalaric again. Promise.

Stefan looked at the building in front of him apprehensively, wondering if it would be a good idea to visit Caroline or not. Her words last night had sounded pretty final. She didn’t want to be his friend anymore. He knew he`d really fucked it up. But he already missed her friendship and Caroline was usually very forgiving. Maybe if he just apologized again, they could get past this.  
   
He had just made up his mind and was about to enter the building when someone clapped a hand on his shoulder. Jumping in surprise, Stefan groaned when he found Enzo standing next to him. “About to pay a visit to the lovely Miss Forbes?” Enzo asked conversationally. The younger Salvatore rolled his eyes. “None of your business.” he grumbled and tried to shake the other vampire`s hand off. But Enzo didn’t budge. “Bad idea, mate. She doesn't want to see you. Besides, I could use your help for something.”  
   
“My help? What the hell makes you think I`d help you?” Stefan asked incredulous. “Your friend Matt proved surprisingly helpful and captured Tripp. You remember Tripp, don’t you? The guy who tried to kill me and your brother just yesterday. We locked him up. Thought you might like to join us for a little interrogation. It was Matt`s idea, if it makes you feel better. I think he doesn’t trust me.” the dark-haired vampire explained. “Why lock him up? Just snap his neck and get it over with.” Stefan suggested.  
   
“Nice idea. Surprising coming from you. Aren`t you supposed to be the good guy?” Enzo needled, but didn’t give the other vampire a chance to reply. “However, we locked him up for a reason. He`s not alone. His friends are still out there. So I say, let`s get all the information first, before snapping his neck.” As much as he hated to admit it, Stefan knew the other vampire was right. They should find out how much Tripp and his men knew. “Fine, let`s get this over with.” he finally agreed.   
   
“Knew you’d come around.” Enzo commented with a grin and followed Stefan to his car, giving him directions. They drove to an abandoned storehouse at the edge of town and Stefan couldn’t help but wonder if this was a trap and Enzo would attack him as soon as he entered the house. But he could hear voices arguing even before he reached the door. And he recognized Matt´s voice instantly.   
   
Upon entering the house he saw Tripp tied to a chair, Matt pacing in front of him. When the two vampires entered he stepped back and Enzo took his place. Stefan decided to hang back for now and let Enzo handle it. But the dark-haired vampire only made fun of their captive. Matt suggested just draining the vervain out of him, compelling him to forget everything, but Enzo again pointed out that Tripp wasn’t working alone.  
   
Finally Stefan had had enough. He grabbed a hammer and slammed it down onto Tripp´s hand, ignoring the way Matt was staring at him like he`d lost his mind. Ignoring Tripp´s anguished scream and Enzo`s surprised look. “They're tracking vampires like your friend Caroline Forbes.” Tripp finally admitted and Stefan felt his blood run cold. They were still after Caroline. She was in danger.  
   
Deciding to take matters in his own hands he ordered: “Take two hours, get the names of his men and what they know. After that, he's a liability. Get rid of him.” He was surprised when Enzo didn’t argue and instead gave him a mock salute. Without looking back, Stefan left the storehouse and headed back to Caroline`s dorm.  
   
But unfortunately the blonde was still mad at him and tried to shut the door in his face. “Caroline, please. You're not safe. Tripp's men still have your name.” Stefan argued. “So, what? You’re here to protect me? News flash! I don't need your protection and more importantly, I don't want it.” she snapped at him. When Stefan tried to say something she cut him off. “No! Just leave me alone already.” Her rejection hurt, but he wasn’t about to give in so easily. She was in danger after all. He had to protect her. “But Caroline…” he started again, when the ringing of Caroline`s phone interrupted him.   
   
Stefan watched while she answered it, a frown creasing her brow. “Tripp? No. I have no idea. Why?” she asked clearly puzzled. Stefan looked up at the mention of Tripp´s name and decided to listen in on the phone call. “Because one of his men just ran me off the road and they're gonna kill me if they don't get him back.” he heard sheriff Forbes say. Caroline gasped in shock. Stefan quickly took the phone out of her hand. “Sheriff? I know where he is. Don´t worry, we´ll get you out.” he promised.  
   
He waited for Liz to relay the message to Tripp`s men and give him their orders, before hanging up. “Don`t tell me you kidnapped Tripp.” Caroline raged. “Actually it was Enzo. Well, technically it was Matt, I guess. They hold him captive in an abandoned storehouse and are interrogating him right now.” Stefan admitted. After a moments hesitation he decided to bite the bullet and tell her everything. “I told them to kill him after two hours.”  
   
“You did what? Are you insane? And since when are you working with Enzo? You two hate each other!” Caroline pointed out. When Stefan opened his mouth to reply, she cut him off. “No, I don´t even want to know. Take me to that house.” He nodded so they hurried to his car and he drove back towards the storehouse, while Caroline called Enzo. Who didn’t answer his phone. Stefan felt his stomach churning. “We`re almost there.” he said, when Caroline sounded like she was freaking out.  
   
Which was obviously the wrong thing to say, because she rounded on him again. “We're almost there? You said two hours and then kill him. Do you even remember how long ago you said that? I mean, what kind of person sets a ticking clock without setting his watch?” Luckily Stefan was prevented from answering that one by the ringing of Caroline`s phone. He listened in on the conversation and sighed in relief when Enzo confirmed that Tripp was still alive.   
   
Caroline told the dark-haired vampire about her mom getting captured. “So just keep your hands off of him so I can get her back, okay? Enzo, please. Don´t kill him.” she whispered the last part. “In that case I wouldn’t dream of harming him, gorgeous.” Enzo assured her. Stefan hated the little smile the words brought to her lips. He knew he really had no right to be jealous of Enzo, but the guy couldn’t be good for her. He was a maniac. A bloodthirsty killer. Unfortunately there was nothing he could do about the fact that Caroline seemed to like him. Especially right now, when she was still so mad at him. Maybe she would give him a chance to explain after he had helped her save her mother...  
   
When they finally reached the abandoned storehouse they were greeted by a grinning Enzo. “Hello gorgeous.” the dark-haired vampire drawled. “Don´t worry. He`s still alive and kicking. Although he might have lost a little blood.” Stefan felt the sudden urge to strangle the guy. “Knock it off. Her mother's life is on the line.” he reminded. “Shut up. Both of you.” Caroline ordered and both men promptly shut up. “Untie him and get him to the car.” the blonde continued.  
   
“We`re supposed to meet his men at the edge of town, on Old Miller road. Tripp wanted Matt there. Since his men will trust him.” Stefan explained. Caroline nodded curtly. “You´ll drive with me then.” she told Matt. “And you two can follow us. Or not. I don’t really care right now.” she said, looking at Stefan and Enzo pointedly. The younger Salvatore quickly averted his eyes, Enzo on the other hand was still grinning, seemingly unaffected by her attitude.   
   
Stefan got into his car again and reluctantly allowed Enzo to get into the passenger seat. The dark-haired vampire remained thankfully silent while they followed Caroline and Matt to the meeting place. Tripp´s men weren’t there yet, so they all got out to wait. Stefan held on to Tripp, while he watched the blonde pacing nervously. Finally another car pulled up and three men got out. One of them was pointing a gun at the sheriff. Matt had to stop Caroline from rushing across the border towards her mother.  
   
After a few threats from both parties the prisoners were exchanged. Caroline hugged her mother as soon as she was within reach. She only let go when Tripp suddenly gave a startled gasp, grabbed his throat and dropped to the ground, twitching and then lying still. He was dead within seconds. When his hand fell away limply they could all see that his throat was slit open. “What the hell did you do?” Matt demanded, turning towards Stefan, who held up his hands. “That wasn´t me.” he assured. “No, it was me. You didn’t really think I`d let him go, did you? I turned him into a vampire. Thought it was fitting for him to die the way he wanted me to die.” Enzo explained.  
   
Caroline, Liz and Matt looked horrified. Tripp`s men seemed unsure what to do for a moment, but finally one of them charged at Enzo, only to get his neck snapped by the dark-haired vampire. The other two jumped into their car again and sped off. “What the hell were you thinking?” Caroline shouted at Enzo, who only shrugged in response. “I was thinking we`d all be safer with him dead. You don´t really think he would`ve stopped hunting us? Or that he wouldn’t have used your mom against you again. Even Stefan here said we should just kill him.”  
   
The blonde shook her head in disbelief and turned towards her mother. “Come on, mom. You´re bleeding. I`m taking you to the hospital to get a check-up.” Stefan watched them go. Matt cast one last, disgusted look in Enzo`s direction, before getting into his car and heading towards Mystic Falls. “Don`t start preaching now. I did what was necessary. And you know it.” Enzo claimed. Stefan really wanted to protest, but he couldn’t. Because the other vampire was right. Tripp had been a danger to Caroline. A danger to all of them. His death was inevitable.   
   
Still didn’t mean he had to agree or acknowledge the dark-haired vampire in any way. So he turned without comment, got into his car and drove to Whitmore hospital, where he found Caroline fussing over her mother. “You can go. We're fine.” the blonde said without looking at him. He ignored the comment and continued to hover in the doorway. When Caroline left to get a nurse he walked over to her mother and asked for a little help. But Liz told him she wouldn’t meddle and he needed to sort it out himself. 

A few minutes later a nurse entered and he followed Caroline out into the hallway. “Please, don't ask my mother for her opinions.” the blonde said straight away. Stefan cringed. “You heard that?” She only glared at him and he finally broke. “Caroline, just talk to me, please. I know I hurt you. I`m sorry, okay? I’ve been an idiot and a shitty friend. I made a lot of mistakes and if I could take it all back I would. Can we please just be friends again?”  
   
A strange look crossed her features, before her face became neutral. “You know, my head was all over the place, but I am incredibly sorry for the way I treated you. Please don´t hate me any more.” he tried again. Finally Caroline sighed. “I don’t hate you, Stefan. I don't hate you for mourning your brother. I don't even hate you for being the biggest jerk on the planet while doing so. And I accept your apology.” He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like a giant weight had just been lifted off his shoulders.  
   
“So… we`re okay then?” he asked hopefully. “No, we`re not. I`m still mad at you for ruining our friendship. But I think … maybe we can be friends again. It`ll just take some time.” Caroline said honestly. “Okay. I understand. I’ll just wait then. And I`m here for you, whenever you need me. I won`t run away again.” he promised. The blonde nodded and turned away. Taking that as his cue, Stefan bid her a good night and left. It wasn´t what he`d been hoping for, but it was at least a start.  
   
***  
   
Caroline returned to her mother´s bedside, still fighting her inner turmoil. “Did you finally patch things up with Stefan?” Liz wanted to know. The blonde vampire shrugged. “A little.” Hearing Stefan pleading for her forgiveness had reminded her why she used to like him so much. He was a good guy deep down and he could admit to his mistakes. But he had hurt her more deeply than he`d ever realize. And she wasn’t about to tell him. Maybe she really only needed time.  
   
“Why don’t you tell him how you feel?” her mother asked. “Because I don´t even know what I feel anymore. I know I had a crush on him or whatever. And I know he hurt me and that I wanted to hate him. I also know that he used to be my best friend and I miss that.” Why did her life have to be so complicated? Like she hadn’t suffered enough relationship problems back with Tyler already. Maybe she should just swear off guys forever. It would make things a lot easier.  
   
A knock at the door made her jump and she looked up to find Enzo lounging in the doorway. Great, just what she needed right now. Another guy to make her life even more complicated. “Everything alright, sheriff?” he asked casually. “I`m fine.” Liz replied curtly and Caroline stifled a sigh. She`d had more than enough drama for one day. Hell, for the whole week, to be honest. She had no desire to start a discussion about Enzo killing Tripp and that other guy right now. Especially not with her mom here. “Need a ride, gorgeous?” Enzo offered with a flirtatious smirk. “No, thank you.” she declined.  
   
His smile didn’t waver for a second. “What about you, sheriff?” he addressed her mother, who looked very put off by the offer. “I don’t accept a ride from psychotic killer-vampires, thank you.” she snarked. Enzo only chuckled. “We`re fine. You can go now.” Caroline ordered, hoping he would do as told. Thankfully he did. “Okay. See you tomorrow, then.” he agreed with a wink and she felt her lips turn up in a smile against her will. Why did he have to be so damn charming?  
   
Enzo turned to leave, but she suddenly called him back. “Enzo?” He gave her a quizzical look. Since he seemed so well behaved right now, at least for his standards, she continued sternly: “Don´t eat anyone.” The dark-haired vampire grinned. “Wouldn`t dream of it, gorgeous.” he assured, before sauntering out. “Do you know what you’re doing?” Liz inquired. “He is a psychotic killer, you know.” Yes, Caroline did know, thank you very much. But she also knew that he wasn’t all bad when you got to know him.  
   
“So is Damon and you’re friends with him.” she pointed out. The sheriff had the decency to blush. “Yeah, well… that`s complicated.” she muttered. “So is Enzo.” Caroline grumbled. “I know he´s evil. And a killer. But… he`s been there for me when I needed him. When I had no-one else.” And he had killed Tripp mostly to protect her. She knew that without having to ask. And that was almost sweet in a really screwed up kind of way she`d rather not think about. “Just be careful, honey.” her mother warned. “I will. Don´t worry, mom.” she promised. And she meant it. She had gotten her heart broken often enough. She wouldn’t let it happen again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I promised this chapter is all Dalaric. Hope you like it.

This was torture, Alaric thought. There was no other way of putting it. Since his break-up with Elena left him with a lot of time on his hands and Alaric didn’t have to work today, Damon had decided to spend the whole day with him. “We haven`t done something fun together in ages, Ric. First you were dead and then I was dead…” he had reasoned and Ric just hadn’t been able to say no. Even when the close presence of the other vampire was slowly driving him insane.  
   
They had spent about an hour sitting in Alaric`s living room, drinking and discussing nonsense, like they had done so many times before in the boarding house. After a while they had gotten bored and decided on a spontaneous day-trip. Since Jo had warned Elena not to steal any more blood-bags from Whitmore hospital and Ric`s stocks were already dwindling down, they needed to get some more.  
   
Ric drove while Damon chose road-trip music and they joked back and forth. They talked some more about Jo and the teacher once again insisted that he wasn’t interested. He was also watching Damon closely for signs of a break-down. The dark-haired vampire was handling the end of his relationship all too well. Ric was afraid he might still snap, but so far Damon was just Damon. Snarky and irritating and still utterly charming. They traded dirty jokes and laughed more than they used to.  
   
It was great, even if he had to continuously battle the urge to just lean over and claim Damon´s lips in a kiss or put a hand on his thigh. He couldn’t help noticing how Damon`s eyes sparkled when he laughed, how he made weird gestures with his hands when he talked or how he raked his hands through his hair, messing it up in a really adorable way. Of course he`d always noticed these things. But usually they had been easier to ignore. And while he could ask Damon for tips on how to control his blood-lust, he could hardly ask him about controlling other urges.  
   
Still despite all his inner turmoil it was fun. Even compelling their way into the blood-bank was kind of fun and exhilarating in a way. Packed with enough blood-bags to last them at least two weeks they finally made their way back. After a short stop at a diner to get coffee and some donuts they reached Alaric`s house by early evening.   
   
“So….. what`s the plan for the evening? Since we obviously can’t go to the Grill.” Damon wanted to know. “There´s a bar not far from here. But the night there usually ends with a bar brawl.” Ric murmured. “Bar brawl. Sounds like fun. Or we could go to that fundraiser thing the witchy-doc talked about.” the dark-haired vampire suggested. “I don´t think that`s a good idea.” the teacher declined. He really didn’t feel like seeing Jo again today. He wanted to stay as far away from her as possible.  
   
“Why not? We`ve been invited.” Damon reminded him. “Actually, I think she only invited me, not you.” Ric pointed out, but the other vampire shrugged it off. “Bring me along as your date then. I promise I’ll behave. Maybe I’ll even make a donation.” It was said in jest, but still the teacher couldn’t help the flutter he felt at the prospect of Damon being his date. “You want to be my date?” he spluttered, cursing himself for not coming up with a more witty comeback.  
   
Damon only smirked at him. “I´ll get myself a suit. See you in 20 minutes.” And before Ric could utter a reply he was gone. The teacher cursed under his breath. He was so doomed. Sighing in defeat he got up from the couch and pulled a suit out of his wardrobe. Trying to argue with Damon would be pointless anyways. The other vampire was used to getting his will. Ric only hoped he would survive this evening without giving his true feelings away. Maybe he should start dating Jo after all. If only to take his mind off Damon. But that hadn’t worked with Meredith and it would probably work even less now.  
   
***  
   
True to his word Damon showed up not even 20 minutes later, dressed in a perfect black suit. “Ready to go?” Alaric tore his eyes away from the tempting sight of his best friend and nodded. “Yeah, let`s go.” He led the way and jumped in surprise when Damon linked arms with him. “A little more enthusiasm, Ric. A lot of guys would kill for a date with me.” he joked. The teacher forced himself to laugh. “Lucky me.”   
   
He breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the party and Damon let go of his arm. For a second he wondered if Damon had picked up on his feelings and was torturing him on purpose. But he dismissed the thought pretty quickly. They were friends and while Damon could be a real bastard at times, even he wouldn’t stoop so low.  
   
“I never thought I`d actually miss those boring founder´s parties, but I guess when you’re stuck in 1994 with only witchy for company, priorities change.” Damon mused. “I can imagine.” Ric murmured. They took a stroll around the room and then went to get drinks. Ric spied Jo in a corner, talking to some old guy and quickly went in the other direction before she could notice him. “Smooth, Ric. Why don’t you just tell her you’re not interested?” Damon asked. “Tried that. She doesn’t give up so easily.”  
   
“And a hot doctor-chick who`s hell-bent on getting a date with you is a bad thing?” the older vampire wondered. “She`s not my type.” Ric lied. In fact, she was his type. Or she would be, if he wasn’t madly in love with his best friend. Damon regarded him with raised eyebrows, but strangely enough didn’t comment.   
   
Alaric noticed the reason for his friends sudden quietness when he turned around. Elena had just arrived at the party, accompanied by a dark-haired boy. She was laughing at something he had said. Despite Damon´s words Ric was surprised that she had moved on so quickly. She remembered everything now and still she had shown up with another guy and was flirting shamelessly. “That´s Liam.” the dark-haired vampire muttered.  
   
“You okay?” Ric asked quietly. Damon´s eyes were still fixed on the couple. “Sure. We broke up. She`s free to date whoever she wants.” he assured, finally tearing his gaze away. “Besides… I`m here on a date as well, remember?” He winked at Ric and the teacher felt himself blushing. But he recognized Damon´s attempt to make light of the situation and forced a smile to his face. “Right. Only you couldn’t score a date with a future doctor.”  
   
“Doctors are boring and turn out to be weirdos more often than not. You should know. Besides, my date is a lot better looking.” Damon claimed and Ric`s blush deepened. The older Salvatore grinned. “Aww, you’re blushing. How cute is that?” Alaric slapped his arm. “Shut up. I`m not used to guys paying me compliments. To anyone paying me compliments, actually.” he mumbled. “You`ve been dating the wrong people, then.” Damon decided and Ric tried not to take his words too seriously. They were only fooling around after all. Right?  
   
“Feel free to retaliate any time, by the way. It`s been a while since anyone complimented me, you know. Bon-Bon didn’t seem to appreciate my incredibly good looks.” Damon claimed. “Shame on her. She must`ve been blind.” Ric said maybe a little too sincerely. Lucky for him, Damon didn’t seem to notice. “Clearly. I mean, look at me. I`m hot, right?” he went on. “Scorching.” Ric agreed with a grin. Still he couldn’t help but wonder what they were doing here. Was it just the usual banter between two friends or were they actually flirting?  
   
“Hey, I didn’t know you would be here.” Ric turned to find Elena standing there, looking at them awkwardly. He had been too preoccupied with Damon to hear her approach. “Yeah, the witchy-doctor-chick invited Ric and he brought me along.” Damon explained in a bored tone. “Jo invited you?” Elena smiled and Ric rolled his eyes. “Don`t start that again. I`m not interested in her. And I already told her so. So please stop trying to play match-maker, Elena.” The brunette pouted, so he decided to change the subject.  
   
“And you’re here with … Liam?” Elena cast an apologetic look at Damon. “He asked me earlier, when he visited me at the hospital. Since Jo said we`d have to come.” she explained. “He`s a freshman as well, right?” Ric asked, mostly to keep up the conversation. “Yeah, he`s nice. And really smart. Probably a little too smart.” the brunette muttered. “That a problem?” Damon finally spoke up again. Elena hesitated for a second.   
   
“Back at the corn maze, I healed a girl with my blood. He noticed something and now he won´t stop researching and asking questions. I don’t know what to tell him. It´s a wonder he even invited me today, after meeting my supposedly dead ex-boyfriend. That was really awkward.” she admitted. “So that`s why he was giving me that weird look.” Damon murmured. “I told him we had a messy break-up and I said you were dead so I wouldn’t have to talk about it.” Elena told him.  
   
Damon was about to comment when Liam joined them. “Looks like we keep running into your not-so-dead ex today.” he said with a sidelong glance at the dark-haired vampire. Elena squirmed, words clearly failing her. She gasped when Damon took a step towards Liam and looked into his eyes, compelling him. “Tell me, how freaked out are you right now?” he wanted to know. “I feel a little threatened, but I think I could take you.“ Liam answered instantly.  
   
“Oh, he´s confident.” the vampire commented. Elena sighed. “Damon, please…” Alaric wondered if he should intervene, stop his friend from doing something stupid. Maybe Damon was finally snapping and he couldn’t allow him to kill Elena`s potential new boyfriend. On the other hand they were in public and not even Damon would be so reckless. So he decided to stand back and watch for now.  
   
Ignoring Elena, Damon continued to compel Liam. “Listen… You’re going to forget everything about that girl at the corn maze. You never noticed anything strange happening around Elena. And she never claimed I was dead. She told you we broke up and that`s it.” He dropped his gaze and Liam blinked, before turning to Elena. “Uhh… I just wanted to ask whether you wanted wine or beer.” he said after a moments hesitation. “You know, um… it doesn't matter. Whatever you want.” Liam nodded and went to get her drink.  
   
“Thank you.” Elena whispered, looking at Damon in obvious surprise. He shrugged it off. “Anytime. But you shouldn`t keep him waiting. Come on, Ric. I need a drink.” Alaric smiled at Elena and then followed his friend, who was stalking towards the bar. “That was nice of you.” Damon snorted. “Yeah, very not-me, right?” Ric grabbed his arm to stop him, but Damon didn’t turn around. “You often do nice things.” And that was the truth. Damon wasn’t nearly as evil as he always wanted people to believe.  
   
“I want her to be happy. And if she can be happy with him…” the dark-haired vampire whispered, finally turning around and meeting his eyes. Ric supposed that he wasn’t handling the break-up as well as he pretended. “Why don’t we get out of here? The party is boring and I think I flaunted my hot date enough for one night.” the teacher suggested. Damon smiled at his attempt to lighten up the situation. “Sounds like a plan.” he agreed and allowed Ric to steer him towards the exit.  
   
***  
   
Back in Ric`s home they settled on the couch with a fresh bottle of bourbon. “You don’t have to babysit me, you know. I won`t snap.” Damon assured. “I know you won`t. But I think the break-up still hurt you, even if you pretend otherwise.” Ric said honestly. He wasn’t sure how the dark-haired vampire would react. They had always been pretty open with each other. Most times Damon appreciated honesty. But sometimes being too honest could end in a broken neck.  
   
Lucky for him this wasn’t one of these times. Damon shrugged out of his jacket, pulled off his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt, before slumping further into the couch. “I`m fine.” he claimed. Ric only continued to look at him, trying not to stare too openly at the tantalizing image the other vampire presented. The teacher had shed his own jacket and tie as well, before sitting down on the couch, but he still felt too hot.  
   
Damon sighed. “It`s for the best. I didn’t actually want to continue the relationship either. I can’t take any more drama, truth be told. I`m sick and tired of it. And with Elena it's always drama.” he said earnestly. “But?” Ric prodded, because that couldn’t be all. The dark-haired vampire hesitated. “But seeing her with that guy today… It just hurt that she could move on so easily. And so fast.” he finally admitted.   
   
Alaric was a little surprised that he`d given in so quickly. Damon usually didn´t talk about his feelings. He pretended that everything was fine and then he got angry and did stupid things, like killing people. Getting him to actually admit his feelings was usually a lot tougher than this and required a huge amount of alcohol. Maybe his time stuck in that otherworldly prison with Bonnie had affected him more than he let on.   
   
“You were gone for four months. She had time to move on.” Ric pointed out. “I know that. But we really just broke up this morning.” Damon muttered. When Alaric opened his mouth to reply he held up his hand to stop him. “Can we just stop talking about it, now? We broke up, she`s dating again. It`s fine.”  
   
Ric nodded and decided to drop the subject. All in all Damon was handling it rather well, he had to admit. And that had been more than enough awkward relationship talk for one night. But it didn´t mean he wanted Damon to stop talking. He loved listening to the dark-haired vampire`s voice. “Tell me about those four months.” the teacher asked. He really wanted to know. Wanted to understand what his friend had been going through.  
   
Damon hadn’t really wanted to talk about it. Not now, not ever. He`d wanted to forget those months stuck in a parallel world with only Bonnie for company, repeating the same day again and again, wondering if it would ever end. Strangely enough, now that Ric had asked he found himself talking. First a little haltingly, but soon it all just came flooding out, like he`d been waiting to get if off his chest all along. And maybe he had. Trust Ric to know that. The teacher had always been the only one who really got him.  
   
Over the course of the next few hours Damon told him everything. He talked about the first few days, finding out they were stuck reliving the same day over and over again. About the eclipse and realizing exactly what date it was. About strolling through the deserted 1994 version of Mystic Falls and slowly becoming friends with Bonnie. About pancakes and crossword puzzles and half-drunken talks. He talked about meeting Kai, about the ascendant and how they had found out how to escape. How Kai had attacked them and Bonnie had sacrificed herself to send Damon back and stop Kai. He even told Ric that he felt 1994 was his own personal hell and about the demons of the past that had haunted him. And he told Alaric all about Zach and his pregnant girlfriend and how he had killed her.   
   
When his tale finally finished it was already close to morning. Alaric hadn’t interrupted him once. Had only listened quietly, waited patiently when he took a break. Now Damon met his eyes hesitantly. The teacher knew a lot of the truly awful things he`d done, but killing a pregnant woman was probably the worst of it. He expected to see disgust in the teacher`s eyes, but his features were strangely blank. “Do you hate me now?” he asked softly. “I could never hate you, Damon.” Ric assured. “No matter what you did.” Damon breathed a sigh of relief. Losing Ric`s friendship had been his greatest fear.  
   
But Ric wasn’t done yet. “I won`t say I`m not shocked, because I am. Maybe I shouldn`t be. I’ve known you long enough. I know you did a lot of truly awful things. Hell, you killed me twice. Still, I don’t think I’ll ever understand how you could have done that. Killing a pregnant woman...” Damon hung his head in shame. He couldn’t explain it himself. And he wouldn’t try. He wouldn’t even tell Ric how much he hated himself for it.   
   
He didn’t need to. “But… you were a different person back then. And you regret what you did. You feel remorse. I can see that.” the teacher whispered. “I do. I wish I could make it undone. But I can’t When I came to Mystic Falls and saw Zach again it all came back. All the guilt. I think that`s why I killed him. So he wouldn’t remind me of my crimes.” Damon admitted. “And that`s the reason I switched off my emotions so often. So I wouldn’t have to feel the guilt. Cause sometimes it`s… overwhelming me.” He`d never told anyone. Not even Stefan, who would understand about guilt better than anyone else. It was so much easier to play the bad guy, who felt no remorse. But Ric had always seen through that act.  
   
“You can’t always take the easy way out, Damon. You just have to learn to deal with the guilt.” The teacher lectured. Damon didn’t answer. He knew that he needed to change if he didn’t want to lose everyone he cared about. But that was easier said than done. “Please, promise me you won`t turn them off again.” Alaric asked. The dark-haired vampire swallowed hard, but nodded. “I promise.” he whispered.  
   
Alaric didn’t think he`d ever seen his friend look more vulnerable than he did right now. Yes, he was still shocked about Damon´s revelation. How could he not be? But it didn’t change how he felt. None of it was Damon´s fault alone, he reasoned. If Katherine hadn’t turned him, hadn’t toyed with his feelings and hurt him like she did, a lot of things wouldn’t have happened. And okay, maybe he was only finding excuses, because he was head over heels in love with the other vampire. Right now he didn’t really care.  
   
Not when Damon looked so downcast, sitting there on the couch with his knees drawn up to his chest like a lost little boy. Ric felt the overwhelming urge to protect him from anything bad in this world. Which was stupid, really. Damon was more than capable of taking care of himself. But he just couldn’t help it. Without really thinking about the consequences he moved closer and pulled the dark-haired vampire into his arms.   
   
Damon stiffened at first, but after a few seconds he seemed to melt against Alaric`s body. He hid his face in Ric`s neck and just sort of clung to him. Ric stroked his back gently and fought the urge to press a kiss to his temple. Damon´s closeness was overwhelming him. His skin burned where their bodies were touching. Damon`s scent filled the teacher`s senses, making him light-headed.   
   
After a while Damon pulled back. Ric let go of him reluctantly. Their eyes met for a moment. It felt awkward, both were unsure where they stood now. Ric was afraid he might have let his true feelings show, Damon felt uncomfortable about showing weakness. “Breakfast?” the teacher finally broke the tense silence. Damon gave him a grateful smile. “Sounds good.” he agreed. They got up and went to the kitchen, the awkwardness forgotten for now. But both couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed between them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter this time. Sorry. Next one will be longer, I promise.

Alaric packed his notes away while the students filed out. He was glad that lessons were finally over for today. He just hadn’t been able to concentrate. His mind kept repeating the things Damon had told him two nights ago and the awkward hug the morning after. What the hell had he been thinking? And more importantly, what would Damon think of him now?   
   
They hadn’t really talked about it anymore. Yesterday Damon had spent some time with his brother and when he`d returned to Ric`s flat they had shared a bottle of bourbon and continued the teacher`s lessons in vampirism. Ric was finding it easier to control himself now. Most of Damon`s suggestions worked and he found that talking about his problems helped a lot as well.   
   
Damon seemed glad to help him. Maybe because it took his mind off his own problems. Problems he didn’t always discuss with Alaric, making the teacher wonder what was on his mind. Sure, he joked like he used to do, but he had been pretty quiet when Ric had left for work this morning and the teacher had been reluctant to go. But the dark-haired vampire had assured him he would be fine and he also wouldn’t do anything stupid.  
   
Ric looked up when he heard someone entering the classroom. A student asking for advice was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now. But it was no student. It was Damon, who was bounding towards him. He was grinning and carrying a … teddy bear? “You know, I don´t think gifts are a requirement after a first date.” Alaric joked, hinting at the fundraiser. Damon snorted in amusement. “Hate to disappoint you, Ric, but that`s not for you.” he shot back.  
   
“Good, cause if you wanted to get me something I`d be more happy about that bottle of bourbon you still owe me.” the teacher reminded. He was glad to see Damon in such a good mood and more than a little relieved that there was no awkwardness and they were bantering as usual. “This bear belongs to Bonnie. She lost it a couple of years ago, but she found it again in prison world. And now I found it in my family´s old crypt. The same place where I appeared after Bon-Bon had sent me back.”  
   
Alaric just looked at his friend, not really understanding where he was going with this. “She must have sent it here, Ric. That means she`s probably still alive.” Damon explained. The teacher blinked in surprise. “That`s… great news, Damon.” he finally said with a smile. But the smile quickly vanished. “Why did she send the bear? Why didn´t she escape?” he wondered. “Maybe she couldn’t At least not without bringing Kai along. Which means that we need to find a way to help her.”  
   
Alaric nodded slowly. If there was a way to bring Bonnie back they had to try. “Okay. Yeah, you're right. I was doing a lot of research while you were gone. And so was Enzo. He and Caroline were about to investigate a coven in Oregon when you returned. The Gemini-coven.” he remembered. “Wait, did you say Gemini?” Damon asked. “Yeah, why? You heard of them?” The dark-haired vampire nodded. “Kai was part of the Gemini-coven. They created that prison world. With the help of a Bennett witch.”  
   
The two vampires looked at each other. “Guess that means we`re going on a trip to Portland.” Ric assumed. “Another road-trip. Sounds good.” Damon agreed. “I guess it´s a bit late now. So why don’t we start early tomorrow morning?” he suggested. Alaric nodded, until he remembered exactly what day tomorrow was. “Caroline won`t like that. Tomorrow is her friends-giving dinner. She invited me days ago.”   
   
Damon shrugged it off. “She invited me as well. Asked me to bring string-beans. But this is more important. I`m sure she`ll forgive us if we find a way to bring back her witchy best friend.” he reasoned. “Alright. But you’re going to tell her.” the teacher decided. “Sure. Will do.” Damon promised. Maybe a bit too readily, but Ric wasn’t about to question him. As long as he didn’t have to tell Caroline that they wouldn’t be coming...  
   
“Okay. I’ve got some paperwork to finish. So why don’t you start planning the trip and I’ll join you when I`m done here?” he offered, knowing that he´d never get his work done if he didn’t start now. “Alright. See you later at home.” Damon agreed before heading out, teddy bear still in hand. Ric tried to ignore the flutter he felt in his stomach at hearing Damon call his flat home. After that first night he`d practically moved in with the teacher, but neither had really acknowledged that fact yet.  
   
Shaking off the thought Alaric gathered his things and went to his office, where he managed to finish his paperwork within the next two hours. When he returned home a little while later he was greeted by the sight of Damon bustling around in his kitchen. “Hey, I made dinner. Risotto.” the dark-haired vampire greeted him. Ric didn’t feel the need to mention that technically they didn’t really have to eat. It was a nice gesture and he still enjoyed normal food. It made him feel more normal than living only on blood-bags, bourbon and coffee.  
   
“I booked us a flight to Portland early tomorrow morning. And I got us a rental car.” Damon let him know when they had sat down to eat. “Oh and Stefan wants to tag along. Although he keeps insisting that it´s a waste of time, since he already checked it out and found nothing.” Alaric felt a little sad that it wouldn’t be just him and Damon again, but he knew that Stefan had missed his brother and they hadn’t really spent much time together since Damon´s return. And hopefully Stefan being there would keep things from getting weird again. “Well, let`s check it out again, then. Maybe he missed something.” he mused. “Probably did.” Damon agreed.  
   
After dinner they settled on the couch with a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. “I got this from the store earlier. Not as good as the stuff at the boarding house, but I guess it`ll do.” Damon muttered. “Yeah, we should ask Jeremy to bring us a couple of bottles. Provided he didn’t drain all of it, yet.” Alaric commented. He really hoped the teen had learned his lesson after his massive hangover. “Let's hope for his own sake he hasn`t emptied my stocks. I might get pissed otherwise.” Damon grumbled.   
   
They drained the bottle while watching some mindless TV-show and ended up going to bed early. But once again Ric lay awake a long time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, like I promised a longer chapter this time with lots of Dalaric. Hope you like it.

Alaric sighed in relief when the plane finally touched down, after a little more than five hours. He had always hated flying. But now as a vampire it was even worse. Being locked up in a small space with so many humans made him edgy and nervous, despite the blood-bag he had drained before heading to the airport. At least Damon had gotten them first class tickets, sparing them the cramped sitting arrangements in business class and the stewardess had provided them with bourbon throughout the flight.   
   
They left the plane and collected their bags, before picking up their rental car. “Alright, let`s find the Geminis.” Damon enthused, flopping down in the drivers seat while Alaric took the passenger seat. “Yeah, good luck with that.” Stefan muttered darkly, getting into the backseat. He had been making comments like this every now and then on the flight, but otherwise kept quiet, choosing to stare out of the window and brood instead of joining the others in conversation. The older Salvatore rolled his eyes at his brother´s pessimistic attitude. “Cheerful as ever, Stefan.” he commented dryly.  
   
It took them about an hour to reach their destination. Damon parked the car next to the road and they got out. Only a few steps away they could see big gates, marking the edge of the property. The ringing of Alaric`s phone prevented them from going nearer. The teacher looked at the display and sighed when he saw Elena`s name. “You did tell the girls that we`re not coming, right?” he checked with Damon. “Yeah, I talked to vampire Barbie. Told her we were having an impromptu guys' weekend.”  
   
“And?” Ric prodded. Damon rolled his eyes. “And she said it was fine. She thought it would be good for me to keep some distance to Elena and spend time with you.” The teacher wasn’t really convinced, but he answered his phone anyways. Elena wouldn’t give up that easily, that much he knew.   
   
“What are you doing? You can't miss Friends-giving. Matt and Jeremy aren`t here, because they`re cleaning up the whole Tripp mess and Caroline's mom has to work. You can get drunk together any other day of the year.” the brunette whined. “Well I`m sorry, but this is important.” Alaric insisted, while he listened to Elena raving and Damon and Stefan having a discussion next to him. Obviously Stefan hadn’t been invited to Caroline`s Friends-giving party. Which showed just how angry the blonde was at him.  
   
“What could be more important than Friends-giving? Even Enzo is here!” Elena continued to rant. Ric was a bit surprised that Enzo had even been invited, but chose not to comment. “We`re tracking a lead that might help us save Bonnie from the prison world.” he admitted. Which was obviously the wrong thing to say, because Elena screeched: “What! Bonnie's in the prison world? But… but Damon said she wasn't there. He said she found peace... Why didn't he tell me this?”  
   
“He didn't want to get your hopes up. He thought Bonnie died trying to free him. But now it looks like she might still be alive. So we're in Portland right now, trying to track down some Gemini thing.” Ric explained impatiently. “It`s called an Ascendant.” Damon chimed in, just as Stefan started ranting again, about how he had already tracked this lead and found nothing. The teacher rolled his eyes, told Elena they would be back soon and hung up, before she could ask any more questions.  
   
“Why didn’t you tell the girls what we were doing here?” he asked, turning to Damon. “Didn`t feel like a discussion.” the dark-haired vampire reasoned. “Did Elena say Enzo was invited to Friends-giving?” Stefan chimed in. “Awww, Caroline invited everyone but Stefan. You messed with the wrong girl's feelings, baby bro.” the older Salvatore joked. “I guess that`s the reason Caroline assigned me the turkey and the Cranberries. Stefan wasn't invited.” Alaric mused.  
   
Damon chuckled and started making fun of his brother, wondering aloud why he couldn’t just date Caroline. “Because I don't think about her that way. She's my friend.” Stefan huffed, which only caused Damon to list all the facts why she would make a great girlfriend. Ric chimed in and they continued mocking poor Stefan, while they started towards the gates.  
   
“Oh! Look. Behold the Gemini Coven exactly how it looked 4 months ago.” Stefan finally interrupted their jibes, when they had entered through the gates and were standing on an empty field. Alaric looked around with a frown. That just didn’t make sense. The GPS had sent them here, there were those gates, clearly indicating some sort of residence … “Just because we don't see anything doesn't mean it doesn't exist.” he reasoned. He`d seen stranger things.  
   
Damon obviously didn’t seem too worried, because he started making fun of Stefan again. He pulled out Bonnie`s bear and started waving it in Stefan`s face, saying in a ridiculously high-pitched voice: “Is Stefan feeling sensitive about ruining his friendship with Caroline?” Ric couldn’t help but chuckle. And since it was so much easier to make fun of others than contemplate his own messed up feelings, he added: “See, Stefan? Even the bear knew that Caroline had a crush on you.”  
   
Finally the younger Salvatore had enough. He wrenched the bear away from Damon and kicked it across the field, making the air around it ripple. All three vampires stared in awe at the large house that suddenly appeared right in front of them. Slowly they walked onto the porch. Damon picked up the bear again and handed it to Alaric, before ringing the doorbell. They waited, but nothing happened.  
   
Stefan wondered aloud how the Teddy bear might have managed to undo the cloaking spell that had obviously been hiding the house. “Jo told me she put her magic away for safekeeping. Maybe Bonnie put her magic away in this.” Alaric mused. “And then she sent the bear here. To keep Kai from using her to get out.” Damon added. “Sounds logic.” the teacher agreed. It would also mean that Bonnie was still stuck there, with no chance of getting out. He could only hope that she would be alright.  
   
There was still no answer, so Damon tried the door. It opened, but they couldn’t enter the house. “Shit, we need to be invited in.” the dark-haired vampire said unnecessarily. Alaric looked down the hallway and spied a few family portraits on the walls. One of the girls in the photos looked strangely familiar. “Hold on, is that… Jo?” he asked, pointing at the picture. Damon took a look as well and nodded, his eyes widening. “Looks like it. And you see the guy right next to her? That's Kai from planet 1994.”  
   
“Wait. Does that mean… Jo is his sister?” Stefan wondered. The older Salvatore rolled his eyes. “No, Stef. Could all be coincidence.” Ric was about to comment, when suddenly a man appeared behind them. “I didn't know I had guests. You've met Kai?” he greeted the vampires. “Met him, watched him die, watched him come back to life. Why? You know him?” Damon asked, turning towards the man. “He's my son. I'm Joshua Parker.” the man introduced himself with a friendly smile. He and Damon shook hands and … vanished.  
   
Alaric blinked in shock. They were simply gone from one moment to the other. And so was the house. He and Stefan were standing alone on an empty field. “What the hell happened?” the teacher asked, looking around wildly. “I don´t know.” Stefan muttered helplessly. Ric tried his best not to panic, despite the fear that gripped his heart. They couldn’t have just disappeared, he reasoned. The man, Jo`s father, was obviously a witch. “He must`ve cloaked the house again. Along with Damon.”   
   
“And what do we do now? Damon still has the bear, so that trick won`t work again. And we can´t even enter the house.” Stefan pointed out. Ric`s heart was thumping madly. His fear for Damon was making it hard to think. “I`m calling Elena. Maybe she can give me Jo`s number.” he finally decided, not sure if the former witch would even be able to help them. But it was the best option they had.  
   
Luckily Elena answered after the second ring. Ric quickly told her what had happened. “Jo is here. I’ll pass the phone to her.” the brunette let him know and seconds later he was talking to the doctor, telling the story again. “Alaric, listen to me. If my dad knows that you want to open Kai's world, he'll think you're going to free him. He's going to retaliate. And … I hate to break it to you, but you traveled 3,000 miles for nothing. The Ascendant's with me.”  
   
The teacher stifled a curse. If only they had known. But that didn’t matter right now. They had to get Damon out. “We can’t see the house anymore. And even if we could, we haven't been invited in.” Jo started explaining that they would need magic, but then her words suddenly died away in an anguished scream. “Jo? What`s going on?” Ric shouted at the phone. “Something`s happening to her. She says her dad is trying to kill her. You have to stop him.” Elena´s panicked voice came over the phone.  
   
“We can’t even see the damn house!” Ric repeated angrily. “There’s a knife … hidden in a tree stump in … the front yard. Use it... like the bear.” he could hear Jo`s voice, clearly weakened. He and Stefan rushed to the stump and after some rummaging around finally found the knife. Stefan threw it in the direction of the house and it embedded itself into one of the porch posts. “Okay, it worked. But we can’t get in.” the teacher pointed out. He could hear Elena telling Jo to invite them in and then Jo´s voice, even weaker than before: “You... can come in.”  
   
Without pausing to think Alaric and Stefan rushed into the house at vampire speed. They found Damon lying on the floor, moaning in pain, while Jo´s father stood above him, about to plunge a stake into his heart. Stefan lunged at the warlock, but he fought the vampire off with magic, before disappearing once again. Ric quickly helped Damon to his feet. “Are you okay?” he asked in concern. “Yeah, you were just in time.”  
   
The teacher looked around uneasily, expecting the warlock to appear out of nowhere and attack them again. But nothing happened. “Let´s get out of here.” he urged. “But we still need…” Damon started to protest, only to be cut off by Ric. “The Ascendant isn`t here. Jo has it. And now let`s get out of here, before her dad comes back.” The Salvatores nodded and followed him back to the car. On the drive they informed each other of what they had missed.  
   
Ric told Damon that Jo had been attacked by her father and that she had the Ascendant. Elena had sent him a text to let him know that Caroline had given Jo some blood and the doctor was alright. Damon told the other two that Jo´s father had asked a lot of questions about Kai and the prison world. Joshua had also told the vampire that the Gemini-coven was always led by a pair of twins, who would have to merge on their 22nd birthday and that Kai would merge with Jo and kill her in the process if he should escape.  
   
“They produced another pair of twins – Liv and Luke, what a coincidence - to prevent Kai from becoming leader of their coven. He tried to kill his siblings when he found out and they sent him to prison world.” he ended his tale. “So Jo is Liv and Luke`s sister? And the twins have to… merge? Like actually merge? That`s just weird.” Ric commented. “The whole family is weird. Daddy tried to kill Jo, so Kai wouldn’t be able to merge with her if he escaped.” Damon pointed out. “And to top it off we came all this way only for me to have my brain scrambled by papa Kai.”  
   
“And we learned that the Ascendant, the only reason we flew our asses out here in the first place, is actually with Jo at Whitmore, 5 minutes from where we started. Great.” Stefan added. “Well, maybe Ric will have better luck getting Jo to hand it to us than I would`ve had with her daddy.” Damon muttered. “Why me?” Ric wanted to know, although he could already guess. “Because she got the hots for you.” came the predicted answer.   
   
“You do remember that I`m not interested in her, right?” the teacher grumbled. He couldn’t believe they were having this discussion yet again. “You don’t have to be. You only have to pretend you might be interested. Once we have the Ascendant you can tell her to go to hell.” Damon told him with a shrug. “And you’re trying to give me relationship advice. Wonderful.” Stefan spoke up from the backseat. “I`m just thinking practical. We need the Ascendant.” the older Salvatore pointed out.  
   
Ric knew he was right. And he also knew that he had the best chance of getting it. Didn`t mean he had to like it. “Fine, I’ll talk to her. But I won`t pretend to suddenly be interested and trick her into handing it over.” he warned. Of course he wanted to save Bonnie, but he wouldn’t stoop so low. “You and your stupid morals.” Damon grumbled, but surprisingly he didn’t try to change his mind.   
   
Instead he announced: “It`s late. Let`s spend the night at a motel and fly back tomorrow.” Alaric and Stefan agreed. The teacher was glad that he wouldn’t have to face Jo right away and he also didn’t look forward to another five hour flight. He could only guess that Stefan wouldn’t want to face Caroline right now.  
   
They stopped at a motel and Ric waited at the car with Stefan, while Damon went to get them rooms. “Are you still angry at me for giving up on my own brother?” the younger Salvatore asked tentatively. Ric turned to face him. “No. Damon has obviously forgiven you. Why should I hold a grudge, when he doesn’t?” he reasoned. Stefan smiled slightly. “He said he understood and that there was nothing to forgive. Which is totally creepy, you know? He`s been a lot nicer than usual. Even after the break-up.”   
   
Alaric chuckled. “Don`t complain. Would you prefer him to get angry and kill innocent humans?” Stefan shook his head. “Of course not. I`m just saying he`s acting... strange. But in a good way. He`s acting more like the old Damon, before Katherine turned us.” he mused. “Maybe being stuck in that prison world changed him.” Ric suggested. He too had seen the changes in Damon. And after everything Damon had told him about those four months stuck in 1994 he could at least partly understand them.  
   
“Did he tell you anything about that?” Stefan wanted to know. “Cause every time I ask he starts changing the subject or joking around.” Ric felt a little thrill at the fact that he was obviously the only one Damon had openly talked to. But he wasn’t sure what to tell Stefan. Should he lie? Try to change the subject?  
   
Luckily Damon`s return saved him from answering. The older Salvatore handed a key to Stefan, before turning to Alaric. “They only had a single and a double room left. You don’t mind sharing with me, do you?” Ric shook his head automatically, although he couldn’t help but wonder why Damon wanted to share a room with him instead of Stefan. Instead of asking aloud he merely grabbed his bag and followed Damon to their room, where the dark-haired vampire announced that he would take a shower and vanished into the bathroom.  
   
Ric flopped down on one of the beds and wondered what he had gotten himself into now. Sharing a room with Damon would most likely turn out to be a bad idea. A really bad idea. Sitting next to him on the flight had been bad enough. Every time he looked at the other vampire, Ric felt the overwhelming urge to touch him. And that urge was only getting stronger. He suspected that he`d always felt drawn to Damon, even if it had taken him time to accept that fact. But now his feelings were spiraling out of control and he had no idea what to do about it. Or how long he would be able to control himself.  
   
When Damon emerged from the bathroom Ric was still lying on his back, eyes closed. “Planning on how to approach the witchy doc?” the dark-haired vampire asked. The teacher snorted. “No. I’ll just tell her the truth, I guess. Ask her to help us. Assure her we won`t let her evil brother out.” He hadn’t really given it much thought, yet. “Great plan. And if she says no?” Ric shrugged. “I’ll decide when it comes to that. But I won`t pretend to be interested in her.”  
   
“Yeah, you already said that.” Damon noted. Alaric could hear him rummaging around and suspected he was getting dressed after his shower. Better not open his eyes right now, because he so didn’t need to see Damon naked. “She`s not my type.” he grumbled, not knowing what else to say. His stupid brain had decided to produce pictures of a naked and dripping wet Damon, which made it a little hard to concentrate. “You already said that as well.” the other vampire pointed out.  
   
Ric jumped when he suddenly felt the bed dip. He opened his eyes to find Damon stretched out next to him. At least he was fully clothed, but he was lying very close. “So.. what exactly is your type?” the dark-haired vampire asked. He looked truly curious. Ric couldn’t answer. Their sudden close proximity made it hard to think. He only hoped Damon wouldn’t notice his erratic heart-beat. “Not sure I have one.” the teacher finally claimed, hoping he was only imagining things and his voice didn’t really sound so husky.  
   
“Come on, there must be something that draws you to a person. Some attribute you’re looking for.” Damon prodded. Alaric desperately searched for something harmless to say, but when he opened his mouth what came out was: “I’ve always been a sucker for blue eyes.” He could see Damon`s eyes widen and inwardly cursed himself. Of all the stupid things to say, his idiotic brain had to pick that? He tried to come up with something to correct his mistake, to turn it into a joke, but his throat felt too tight to get any word out.   
   
He and Damon were lying facing each other now, only inches apart on the small bed. Their eyes were locked and he just couldn’t tear his gaze away. The atmosphere was tense. Ric had trouble breathing, trouble getting his sluggish brain to function. Damon`s smell was filling his nostrils, overwhelming his senses. He felt frozen to the spot and had to fight the urge to finally do the unforgivable, close the distance and kiss his best friend.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, another short chapter this time. But you'll finally learn a bit more about Damon's thoughts and feelings in this one. And I'll try my best to manage a longer chapter next time.

A knock at the door made both vampires jump and finally shattered the tense silence. Ric jumped to his feet and quickly went to open the door. Damon sat up and shook his head, trying to clear it. What the hell had just happened? He vaguely nodded to his brother, after accepting the cup of coffee Stefan handed him. The younger Salvatore was talking, but Damon didn’t really pay attention. He was still too confused by the scene between himself and Alaric.  
   
He hadn’t thought anything by laying down next to the teacher. Damon never cared about personal space and Ric had learned early on to just accept that fact. They had spent many nights slumped together on a small couch a the boarding house, drinking and talking. Or on the couch at Ric`s flat, with Damon`s feet draped over the teacher`s lap. But it had never felt like this. He had never felt frozen in place by Ric`s eyes. He had never had trouble breathing just from looking at his friend.   
   
And Ric`s comment about being a sucker for blue eyes. What did that mean? What had Ric been trying to tell him? Usually Damon would chalk it up to the teacher pulling his leg. They were always fooling around. Flirty comments weren’t uncommon either. But somehow this felt different. Like it had stopped being a joke. Like they actually meant it this time.  
   
Damon blinked in surprise when Stefan suddenly snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Are you even listening to me?” the younger one wanted to know. The dark-haired vampire hid his insecurity behind his trademark smirk. “Sorry, Stefan. Were you saying something important for once? I always drown out your voice after the first few seconds.” Stefan looked disbelieving and rather worried, but thankfully didn’t comment. “I was just saying we could eat at the diner across the street.” he repeated.  
   
“Sure, sounds good. Let`s go.” Damon agreed maybe a little too readily. He was feeling out of depth. More so than he wanted to admit. Grabbing the key he followed his brother, chancing a glance in Ric`s direction as he did so. The uncertainty he could see in the teacher`s gaze made his stomach churn. So it wasn’t just him. Whatever the hell that was earlier, Ric had felt it, too. He didn’t know if he should feel glad or worried about that.

***  
   
They took a seat in a secluded booth and ordered burgers and fries. Damon tried his best to push the strange thoughts away and concentrate on the here and now. He and Ric went through a disturbingly large amount of beer bottles, while Stefan did his best to keep up a conversation. The older Salvatore felt his brother watching him warily, obviously wondering what he had missed. Well, Damon wasn’t about to tell him. He didn’t even understand what had happened earlier himself.  
   
After finishing their food they made plans for their departure tomorrow, before heading back to the motel. But just as Damon was about to open the door he heard Stefan asking: “Ric, do you have a moment?” He headed inside while the teacher hung back reluctantly. Closing the door behind himself, Damon leaned against it and listened. “What`s going on with you two?” the younger Salvatore cut straight to the point. “I don’t know what…” Ric started, but Stefan cut him off.  
   
“You’re both acting weird. Damon even more than you. Did you… have a fight or something? Did you ask him about… the prison world? Did he get angry?” he asked. “No, Stefan. It`s really nothing.” the teacher tried to reassure him, but Stefan wouldn’t drop the subject. “You did ask him, right? I shouldn`t have said anything. I`m sorry, Alaric. I just… I thought he should talk about what happened. And since he won`t talk to me…”   
   
So Stefan had told Ric that Damon was refusing to talk about his time stuck in the otherworldly prison with Bonnie. And Ric obviously hadn’t mentioned that Damon had already talked to him. The dark-haired vampire couldn’t even explain why he didn’t want his brother to know. Why it had been so much easier to talk to Ric. Everything was easy with Ric. The teacher understood him like no-one else. And while he didn’t always approve of Damon`s actions he also didn’t judge him like everyone else did.  
   
Damon remembered once telling Ric that he was pretty much the only one he trusted. And he`d meant that. He still meant it. He knew that he could tell Ric anything and the teacher wouldn’t use it against him. Well, maybe in jest. They were known to rile each other up every now and then, but they both knew where to draw the line. 

And there was still the fact that Stefan had given up on him. Elena giving up hope was one thing. But his own brother? That was another matter. He had told Stefan that it was okay. That he wouldn't hold a grudge and there was nothing to forgive. But if he was completely honest with himself he had to admit that it hurt. It hurt a lot. Ric hadn't given up on him. Neither had Enzo and vampire Barbie. But Stefan had and Damon couldn't help but hate him a little bit for that. If the roles had been reversed he would have never given up hope. Not in a hundred years. He would have done everything in his power to bring his baby brother back. 

Still, he was too glad to be back to dwell on it. And he wouldn't risk his relationship with Stefan by being too honest. They had been enemies for too long. He didn't want to jeopardize their new-found closeness. And maybe he just needed some time. Yes, that was probably it. He would get over it in time.  
   
When he heard Alaric bidding Stefan goodnight he quickly rushed to the other side of the room, flopping down on his own bed just in time before Ric entered. “What did Stefan want?” Damon asked casually. “Oh, the usual. He`s worried the break-up might be catching up to you and asked me to keep an eye on you, prevent you from doing anything stupid.” the teacher lied. Damon smirked. “He asked you to babysit me?”  
   
“Pretty much, yeah. Not that he needs to ask. I`m rarely doing much else.” Ric joked with a grin. Damon was glad that they were acting normally around each other again. “You should join me instead. It would be so much more fun.” he suggested and the teacher laughed. “Unfortunately one of us has to be an adult every now and then. But if your stupid actions involve drinking I`m all in.” Ric promised. “So I’ve got to get you drunk first? Good to know.” Damon said with a wink. “You can try.” Ric challenged. They were staring at each other for a few seconds, until the teacher tore his gaze away.  
   
“Well, I think we should postpone any stupid actions until tomorrow. I`m tired.” he announced. “Yeah, me too.” Damon agreed quietly, trying to ignore the twinge he felt. While they were back to their usual banter, things weren’t really back to normal. There was still an undercurrent of tension in their exchange that hadn’t been there before. And Damon still had no idea what it meant.  
   
He shrugged out of his clothes and crawled into bed, hearing Ric do the same. Turning onto his back he stared at the dark ceiling, images of the day flickering before his eyes. Despite the fact that he really was tired, sleep wouldn’t come. He lay awake for long hours and he could tell that Ric wasn’t sleeping either.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, another short chapter this time. Been pretty busy this week, but I wanted to post another chapter. I'll try my best to get a longer one done till next weekend.

Damon, Alaric and Stefan caught the flight back early next morning. Damon was very aware of his brother watching him, obviously still concerned that he`d had a fight with Ric last night. Thankfully the awkwardness between him and Ric had mostly faded and they were acting like always. The dark-haired vampire was still a little confused about last night, but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. No need to let his brother get even more worried.  
   
He spent the first two hours of the flight pretending to dose. Which wasn’t easy, considering that Alaric, who was once again sitting next to him, was fidgeting constantly and glancing in his direction every few minutes. Once Damon opened his eyes and their gazes locked, just like they had last night. But then Stefan got up from the seat in front of them and the trance was broken.  
   
Unable to fake sleep any longer Damon finally ordered bourbon for himself and Ric. When the stewardess brought their drinks he noticed the little tremors running through the teacher`s body and realized that they hadn’t had blood since last morning. He could go two or three days without feeding if he needed to, but Ric was obviously used to the daily rations. “Are you okay?” Damon asked quietly. The teacher shrugged. “A little edgy.” he admitted.  
   
Damon checked his watch. “We land in about three hours. Think you can manage or do you want me to get you a real drink?” It wouldn’t be too hard. Aside from an elderly couple they were the only ones in first class. No-one would notice if he asked one of the nice stewardesses for a little donation. But Ric quickly shook his head with an almost panicked look. “I’ll manage. It`s fine.” he assured. “Are you sure? The blonde stewardess has been checking you out since we boarded the plane. She probably wouldn’t mind.”  
   
The teacher`s eyes flitted to said blonde for a second. “No, I`m sure. I can wait until we get home.” he insisted, even as his eyes traced her carotid artery. Damon rolled his eyes. “Don´t be stupid. You’re hungry.” he insisted. Ric chose to ignore him and ordered another bourbon. The stewardess gave him a flirty smile and half-leaned over him to serve the drink, to allow him a closer look at her cleavage, Damon suspected. She didn’t notice that the teacher`s eyes were glued to her neck instead or that he was gripping the armrest so hard it was creaking ominously.  
   
Ric breathed an audible sigh of relief when she left to tend to the elderly couple and Damon rolled his eyes again. He was about to tell Ric to stop acting like a baby, when he suddenly realized that the teacher probably had never fed from a human before. He was having trouble controlling his urges as it was. He would be way too scared of accidentally killing someone to even try. And Ric with his overactive conscious would never forgive himself for killing someone. So a snack really was out of the question.  
   
Damon put his hand on Ric`s arm, ignoring the way the teacher stiffened under his touch. “Close your eyes, breathe, push it to the back of your mind.” he instructed quietly. Ric did as told, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breath. Damon could see him gradually relaxing. Without really thinking about it he started stroking Ric`s forearm, until Ric finally loosened his death-grip on the armrest and instead grabbed Damon`s hand, interlacing their fingers.  
   
After another minute or so the teacher opened his eyes and looked at him. “Thank you.” he said sincerely. “Anytime.” the dark-haired vampire replied. “Can`t have you eating the stewardesses, right? I mean, we still have about another two and a half hours to go. Who would bring our drinks?” he joked. Alaric`s laughter sent shivers down his spine. Weird. Sure, he´d always liked hearing his friend laugh, but this reaction was new.  
   
“So… what exactly is the plan when we land?” Ric wanted to know after a while. Damon shrugged, but indulged him. Talking would help to take his mind off his hunger. “Well, first we need to eat.” he stated the obvious, knowing Ric would get his meaning. “And then we, or rather you need to talk to Jo about the Ascendant. Once we have it, we`ll have to find a way to get Bonnie out. Which is where the really hard part begins.” Because he had no idea how they were going to accomplish that. They would need help from a witch, that much was for sure.  
   
“I think getting Jo to give me the Ascendant will be hard enough. She won`t simply hand it over if I ask nicely.” Ric pointed out. “Use your charm. And if that doesn’t work you can always bore her to death with some historic facts.” Damon suggested, eliciting another chuckle from the teacher. “Great plan. I’ll just talk about the Civil War until she begs for mercy. Or shuts the door in my face.” Ric mumbled with a wry grin. “Or you could ply her with alcohol.” the dark-haired vampire suggested. “You know what? That might just work.”  
   
“Great. That means we have a plan already.” Damon commented. “So you get the Ascendant and then we only need a witch to help us. Think the wonder twins might be up for the job?” Alaric shrugged. “Not sure. They`re probably still terrified of Kai. He tried to kill them when they were kids. I don´t think they`ll risk him getting out of his prison.” he reasoned. And Damon had to admit that he did have a point there.   
   
“On the other hand… Kai getting out could mean they don’t have to merge. I don’t think they`re very keen on that anyways, since it will result in death for one of them. And from what we know Jo pretty much abandoned the family. They could decide to sacrifice her in order to save themselves.” Ric continued thoughtfully. “Sacrifice the sister who ran away in order to save your own life? I would do it.” Damon mused. “Guess we`ll just have to ask them. We`ve got nothing to lose, right? If they refuse to help we can always try to come up with a new plan.” Alaric decided.  
   
“What are you two plotting back there?” Stefan`s voice suddenly interrupted them. The younger Salvatore had been trying to get some sleep, but the constant muttering behind him was making it hard to dose off. He turned in his seat to look at the other two vampires and his eyes widened when he noticed their linked hands. Damon was confused by the strange look his brother was giving them, until he realized that they were still holding hands. He had completely forgotten about that. And obviously so had Ric, because now he pulled his hand away like he`d been burned, a blush creeping up his cheeks.  
   
“Just planning our next moves.” Damon finally answered, trying for casual and not really managing it. Stefan was still watching them, a strange, calculating look on his face. “Want to let me in on your plans?” he asked after a while. “Nope.” the older Salvatore declined with a grin. “We`re taking care of getting Bonnie back and you will patch things up with Caroline.” he ordered. Stefan looked ready to argue, but in the end he only sighed and sat back down. Damon resumed the conversation with Ric, but he could see his brother looking back at them every now and then.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the uncharacteristic delay. Been pretty busy with work. But to make up for it, this chapter is a longer one.

Damon dropped his brother off at Caroline´s dorm, before going home with Alaric. Stefan watched the car disappear and finally turned towards the building with a sigh. He wondered what was up with his brother and the teacher. They had been acting strange since last evening and he couldn’t help but feel that he was missing something.   
   
At first he`d thought they might have had a fight. He`d even been worried that it was his fault, since he had brought up the topic of Damon`s otherworldly imprisonment. He had thought Ric might have confronted Damon about it and Damon had gotten angry. He knew his brother well enough, so it was a possible scenario. But the teacher had insisted that there hadn’t been a fight and when Stefan had inquired further Ric had quite plainly told him to drop the subject and mind his own business.  
   
This morning they had behaved more normally, but there had still been an undercurrent of tension around them that Stefan couldn’t understand. If Ric had just told him they`d had a fight he wouldn´t think twice about it. Damon was rash and irritating and likely to pick a fight when he felt off-balance. But somehow Ric always forgave him pretty quickly for whatever stupid stunt he pulled. Even if said stunt resulted in his own, temporary death.  
   
Alaric`s insistence that there was nothing going on, that there hadn’t been a fight, only served to raise Stefan`s suspicions. So he´d watched the two of them, noting the remaining tension, the fact that Damon seemed to avoid looking directly at Ric. It all didn’t make sense. He´d been glad to hear them bickering again on the plane, but then he`d turned around to find them holding hands. That had really thrown him. His brother wasn’t a hand-holder. Not even with a girlfriend and certainly not with a friend.   
   
Sighing he finally entered the building, resigning himself to the fact that he probably wouldn’t get to the bottom of this. Usually he would talk to Caroline about it. She was so much better at figuring things out than he was. But Caroline obviously still hated him, despite everything she had said the last time they`d met. Why else should she invite everyone to her Friends-giving dinner – even Enzo for god´s sake! – but not him?  
   
He hesitated a few seconds before knocking on the door, half-hoping she wouldn’t be there. But when she opened the door only seconds later he was glad to see her. “You’re here. Good. That actually saves me the hassle of trying to find out where you live right now.” she greeted him. Stefan opened his mouth to reply, but she had already turned away to grab something off a nearby table. “Needless to say, there were leftovers from dinner last night.” she explained, handing him a box.  
   
Stefan looked at her curiously. He would never understand that girl. “Um… thanks.” he mumbled, not really knowing what to say. She nodded and looked like she might close the door in his face any time, so he quickly continued. “Caroline, can we… talk?” The blonde looked torn, but finally she opened the door wider and let him in. “Elena`s at the hospital with her new best friend Jo.” she muttered under her breath.  
   
The younger Salvatore followed her into the room. For a moment he just stood there fidgeting under her stare. “I`m sorry. I never realized that you.. felt that way towards me. I never noticed anything. If I had I …” He really hadn’t, although he was probably the only one who never noticed. At least according to his brother. Caroline`s eyes widened at his words and she quickly shushed him. “Stop it. Don´t continue that sentence, please. Okay, I had a little crush on you, but that is over. No need to get worked up over it now.” she insisted.   
   
“But you…” Stefan tried again, only to be interrupted again. “I said stop. Please. Let´s just… never talk about this again, okay?” She gave him a pleading look, so he agreed. Fine by him, since he didn’t feel that way towards her. And if she said it was only a crush and she was over it, he would believe her. But what did that mean for their friendship? “Does that mean we`re still friends?” he asked tentatively. “Because I really miss our friendship.”  
   
Caroline bit her lip. “I don’t know, Stefan.” she said sincerely and his heart sank. “I know I hurt you. When Damon was gone, I ... I pushed you away.” She started to say something, but this time he didn’t allow her to interrupt him. “I know I pushed everyone away. But you the most. I knew that you were the one person who would sit with me and let me cry and I didn't want to cry anymore. I just wanted to move on. I know it was stupid, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. I’ve hated my brother for years, decades even. But when he was gone I finally realized how much I still love him, despite everything. And I missed him. So much.” he admitted.  
   
He felt tears pricking his eyes as the memory of losing Damon overwhelmed him. Who would`ve thought losing his idiot brother would hurt so much? Stefan startled when Caroline suddenly wrapped her arms around him. But then he returned the hug, grateful for her support. When she pulled back she looked sad. “I don’t know if I can ever trust you again. But I miss our friendship, too. And I`m willing to give you another chance.” she whispered reluctantly.  
   
“Don`t fuck it up!” she warned then and Stefan couldn’t help but grin. “I won`t. I won`t ever push you away again. I promise.” Caroline looked doubtful. He knew that he`d made a lot of mistakes and it would take time to repair their friendship. But he had time and he vowed to prove that she was making the right decision.   
   
“So… Bonnie is really still alive?” she finally changed the subject. “Looks like it. Damon and Ric are trying to find a way to save her from this prison world.” Stefan let her know. “And why aren`t you helping them?” Caroline asked with just a hint of accusation in her voice. “They wouldn’t let me. Damon dropped me off here. Told me to patch up things with you, while they took care of Bonnie. I had the strangest feeling he was trying to get rid of me.” He felt stupid admitting that, but he was trying to be honest and Caroline had never yet made fun of him.  
   
“What do you mean, he was trying to get rid of you?” she prodded. Stefan shrugged. “I can’t really explain. It`s probably nothing. Just Damon bossing everyone around. Nothing new, right?” Caroline didn’t look convinced. “If it were just that you wouldn’t have said anything.” she reasoned. Damn, she really knew him too well. But maybe it would be good to talk to her. If anyone could help him figure out what was going on with Damon and Ric, it would be Caroline.  
   
“They`ve been acting strange.” he finally gave in, before telling her all about their trip to Portland and the strange tension between the two vampires. When he had finished his tale Caroline was giving him an incredulous look. “God, you really are blind.” she commented. “Have you seriously never noticed that they`re completely into each other?” Stefan frowned. “What do you mean: Into each other?” he asked blankly, causing the blonde to roll her eyes. And it was scary how much she reminded him of his brother when she did that.  
   
“Do I really need to spell it out for you? They`re in love with each other, Stefan.” she claimed. “What? No way. My brother`s not…” Stefan insisted, but once again Caroline wouldn’t let him finish his sentence. “Oh yes he is. Why do you think I was so adverse to his relationship with Elena?” the blonde asked. “Well, because… you hate Damon.”  
   
Caroline sighed.“I don’t hate him. I strongly dislike him. Most of the time. But that wasn’t the reason. It was because I thought he was only using her. That he didn’t really love her. And I still believe that. He had lost Alaric and he couldn’t cope with that. So he pursued Elena again, dove headfirst into a relationship with her and pretended that Ric had just been a friend and that Elena was what he`d really wanted all along.”  
   
That sounded way too absurd to be true. “He was in love with Elena. He was always flirting with her.” Stefan insisted. “To rile you up, Stefan. Cause that´s what he does. In truth they were friends and probably still are. But I don’t think he ever really loved her. He probably thinks he did, because he`s too dense to admit what he really wants. Although from what you told me, maybe he´s finally starting to realize what or rather who he really wants.”  
   
Stefan thought it over, but he still couldn’t see Caroline`s logic. Okay, at first Damon had only flirted with Elena to rile him up. That much was true. And they had become friends over time. But… his brother and Alaric? No way. Then again… they had been holding hands on the plane… “Have you seriously never noticed how he looks at Ric? How they`re always flirting? How he finds excuses to spend time with Ric?” Caroline asked. No, he hadn’t. But now that she mentioned it…  
   
He looked at Caroline with a frown. “When you really think about it, you´ll have to admit that I`m right. But you`ll have to excuse me now. I`m meeting my mom for lunch.” the blonde finally ended the talk. Before Stefan could utter a reply she had shoved him out of the door and pushed the box into his hands again. “Enjoy the leftovers.” He nodded dumbly and slowly made his way out of the building, heading back to the little guesthouse he was currently staying at. Caroline had given him a lot to think about.  
   
***  
   
In the meantime Damon and Alaric had returned to the teacher´s flat. Ric forced himself to put his stuff away first, before grabbing a blood-bag from the fridge. He sighed in relief as the coppery red liquid ran down his throat and the hunger ebbed away. This was the longest he had yet gone without drinking blood. On the plane he had felt like a junky in need of his next hit. He hated that feeling. Hated how much the blood-lust controlled him. Without Damon´s help he would`ve probably drained the stewardess.  
   
But that was another thing that scared him. It was getting harder and harder to hold back around Damon. To push his feelings aside. He thought back to last night, lying there with Damon next to him, fighting the urge to touch the dark-haired vampire. He could still kick himself for his comment about being attracted to blue eyes. Why didn’t he just tell Damon straight away that he was his type? And then he had simply stared at the other vampire. And Damon had stared right back and it had turned into a weird, awkward moment. And then earlier, on the plane, he had grabbed Damon`s hand without thinking.  
   
He didn’t know what to do anymore. And to make matters worse Damon didn’t really seem to mind. He probably chalked it all up to Ric`s problems with being a vampire and didn’t think much of his weird behavior. Sure, things had been a little tense between them ever since last night. They mostly acted like nothing had happened, but there were the weird silences. The long looks.   
   
Ric didn’t know what to make of it. It almost felt like they were flirting with each other. Of course they had done that in the past. Damon was always flirting. With pretty much anyone. It was like second nature to him and Ric had never really thought much of it. They were only joking around, right? No need to get worked up over nothing. But why did it feel so different now?  
   
“You should get ready for your date.” Damon`s voice interrupted his thoughts. “My date?” he repeated, looking at the dark-haired vampire questioningly. “You wanted to visit the witchy-doc, remember?” came the immediate reply. “I wouldn’t call that a date.” Ric scoffed. Damon shrugged. “Whatever you want to call it, take this with you. Might help.” he suggested, handing the teacher a bottle of wine. “Can`t hurt.” Ric agreed. His fingers brushed against Damon`s when he took the wine and he shivered. Their eyes met over the bottle and once again there was this strange tension. “I’ll better go then.” Ric finally broke the uncomfortable silence that had descended upon them. Damon simply nodded and turned away.  
   
***  
   
About 20 minutes later Alaric knocked on Jo´s door. He had called the hospital to find out when her shift would end and learned that she had been working overnight. Since it was early afternoon now he hoped that she would be home and awake. He waited nervously until his sensitive hearing picked up the sound of movement within the flat. Finally the door opened to reveal a tired looking Jo. “Hey, uh.. I hope I didn’t wake you.” Ric stammered.  
   
She snorted. “Not really. I never sleep well after a night shift.” she let him know, before asking: “What brings you here?” The teacher fidgeted for a moment. “I was hoping we could talk. And, uh… I brought this.” He held up the wine, noting how her eyes lit up when she saw the bottle. So he had at least gotten that right. She liked a good drink.  
   
After a seconds hesitation she held out her hand and he gave her the wine. “I`m not really sure about inviting you in. At least not until I know your intentions.” Jo mused and he couldn’t help but wince. He was pretty sure she would invite him in if he asked for a date. And then she`d probably try to stake him when she found out he hadn’t meant it. So time to bite the bullet then. “I came to ask you for the Ascendant.”  
   
Her face fell. “You should go now. Thanks for the wine.” She tried to close the door, but Alaric stopped her. “Jo, wait. Please!” The doctor hesitated. “Please, just listen to me. Give me a chance to explain.” he begged. She sighed, but the door remained open. “Fine. You`ve got five minutes. And I`m not going to invite you in.” Okay, he hadn’t really expected that and truth be told he felt kind of stupid stuck in the hallway. But he had known it wouldn’t be easy.  
   
“You`ve probably already heard that my friend Bonnie is trapped in the prison world your coven created for your brother Kai.” he started. She nodded, so he went on: “Bonnie is a witch. A Bennett witch. But more importantly she`s Elena`s best friend. She`s Jeremy`s girlfriend. And… we all miss her. She sacrificed herself for her friends. More than once, actually. She`d do anything for us. And now she´s trapped there, all alone with your crazy brother and we need the Ascendant to get her out.”  
   
Jo sighed. “I understand that you want to help your friend. But you`ve also got to understand me. My brother is a psychopath. The last time I saw him, I betrayed him. I let him think I would do the merge and instead my father sent him to his prison. Which gives Kai even more incentive to kill me. Not that he really needs it. If he gets out he will force me to finally merge with him and that will not only kill me, it will also be the end of my coven. The end of my family. My father tried to kill me yesterday to stop that from happening. If Kai gets out, I`m dead, Alaric.”  
   
“I know. I get that. But he won`t get out.” the teacher promised. “You really think you can stop him?” Jo asked dubiously. “Yes, I know that we can. Damon knows Kai. He´s been trapped there with him. And he escaped, thanks to Bonnie, who sacrificed herself yet again.” Ric let her know. “You have no idea what you’re competing against.” Jo insisted. “You have no idea what I’ve faced already. I fought vampires, witches, werewolves, original vampires, hybrids…”   
   
The doctor tried to interrupt him, but he didn’t let her. “Damon and I can beat your brother. We`ve faced enough monsters together. Besides, Bonnie did what you did. She put away her magic. She hid it in her Teddy bear and then she sent it here. Kai has no magic of his own and no way to get magic. We`re vampires. He`ll be no match for us.” he reasoned. Jo still looked doubtful. “Kai will kill me if he gets out.” she repeated. “He won`t. But Bonnie is trapped there with him. Imagine that. I`m sure you can imagine what she`s going through right now. She has no chance of escape, unless we help her. She`ll be stuck there forever, getting tortured by your psychotic brother. Do you really want that?”  
   
The doctor seemed torn between fear for her own life and compassion for Bonnie. “You’re a doctor. And a passionate one at that. You saved all those people at the corn maze. You saved Elena. Only you can help us save Bonnie. Please, Jo. She`s only 20 and she`s been through so much already.” Alaric pleaded. “That`s a low blow, Alaric. Appealing to my conscious.” she snapped. For a second he was sure she would slam the door in his face. But then she raked a hand through her hair with a sigh.  
   
“Okay. You win. I’ll risk my life to save your friend. But first you will answer my question. And you will answer completely honest.” she ordered. Ric didn’t like the sound of that, but he nodded anyways. As long as he got what he wanted… “At the corn maze we were having fun. You were flirting with me. Don't deny it. But then you decided it was a bad idea and started pushing me away. Why?” He had expected something like that. But answering was still hard.  
   
“Yes, I was flirting with you at the maze. Because Elena had set us up and I thought it was what was required of me. To rejoin civilization and act like normal. But then there was the accident and I realized that I wasn’t normal. I`m a vampire. You save lives. I have to fight the urge to kill every day.” he tried to explain. Jo crossed her arms and leaned against the doorjamb. “Not good enough. That`s just an excuse and you know it. If it would be just the vampire thing you would be reluctant to date me, yes. But I know what you are and I`m okay with it. Yet you refuse to date me. You push me away. And truth be told, I`m not used to being shot down. So tell me the truth.”  
   
Alaric averted his eyes. He had to admit that she was right. While he was scared of accidentally hurting someone, he knew that she could take care of herself. If he really wanted to, it wouldn’t keep him from dating her. “I`m waiting.” she reminded sharply. With a sigh he met her eyes again. “You want the truth? Okay. The truth is… I`m in love with my best friend.” There, he`d said it. And it felt strangely liberating to finally get it off his chest.  
   
Jo seemed shocked, but accepting. “Great. The first hot guy I meet in ages and he not only turns out to be a blood-thirsty vampire, but a gay vampire at that.” she muttered. Ric couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped him. “Not technically gay. More like… bisexual, I think.” he said with a shrug. “Doesn’t make it better.” the doctor commented, obviously not at all pleased that he found it funny. “So… I told you the truth.” Alaric reminded.   
   
Jo sighed and walked away without a word. He could hear her rummaging around somewhere, muttering under her breath that she was going to regret this. A short while later she returned with a strange, gold object. She handed it over reluctantly. “Don`t make me regret this, Alaric.” she pleaded. He could see the fear in her eyes and felt bad for her. Maybe he could have loved this woman, he realized. If his heart didn’t already belong to Damon. “Whatever happens, I won`t let Kai get you.” he promised. Jo smiled sadly and shut the door in his face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter. Sorry, been busy. And sorry for the cliffhanger. Although... no, I'm not really sorry about that...

After debating with himself for a few minutes, Stefan knocked on Alaric`s door. Caroline`s words were still ringing in his ears. He had pondered what she`d said, but he still thought it was absurd. His brother and Alaric. No way. Damon wasn't gay. And neither was Alaric.

He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to visit Ric right now, with his mind full of Caroline's words, but he didn’t know what else to do. He felt useless just sitting in his small room at the guesthouse. Maybe he could do something to help with Bonnie`s rescue. And maybe that would also help him to get these strange thoughts out of his head. Caroline had to be wrong this time.  
   
He jumped when the door finally opened to reveal his brother. Although he shouldn`t be surprised. Elena had told him that Damon had practically moved in with Ric. Damon regarded him with raised eyebrows. “What are you doing here? I thought you were fixing things with vampire Barbie.” Stefan rolled his eyes. “We talked. But then she had to leave to meet her mother.” The older Salvatore looked doubtful, but after a moment he stopped blocking the doorway and moved back into the flat. Stefan followed him to the kitchen, noticing the pots and pans with surprise. “You´re… cooking?”   
   
“Yes, I`m cooking. For two. Sorry, wasn’t really expecting you, bro.” his brother told him as he went back to stirring something in a pot. Stefan assured him it was fine. He wasn’t hungry anyways. “So, did she forgive you?” Damon asked off-handedly. “I think so. Like I said, we talked. And we`re… good.” Stefan answered. “Are you sure about that?” the older one sounded doubtful. “Yes, I`m sure.” the younger vampire insisted. He took a seat at the table while he watched his brother bustling around the kitchen. “Been a while since I saw you cooking.” he commented after a few minutes of silence. He actually couldn’t remember the last time.  
   
“I used to make Bon-Bon pancakes for breakfast every morning.” Damon let him know. The younger Salvatore smiled at that. It was hard to picture, especially considering that Damon and Bonnie had never liked each other all that much. So that he was cooking for Ric now wasn’t all that strange. And it certainly didn’t prove Caroline`s stupid theory.   
   
“So… where´s Ric?” he asked. “He´s getting the Ascendant.” Damon sounded pretty sure of that. “You really think Jo is just going to give it to him?” the younger Salvatore asked doubtfully. “Of course. Ric said he would get it and you know how he gets when he sets his mind on something.” Okay, Stefan had to admit that the teacher could be quite committed to a task. He still doubted getting Jo to hand over the Ascendant would be easy. It was the only thing keeping her safe from her evil twin, after all.  
   
Both brothers looked to the door when Alaric entered. Damon gave him an expectant look. “Here it is.” Alaric said, holding up a strange, round object. “She really gave it to you? How did you manage that.” Stefan asked in surprise. The teacher put the Ascendant down on the counter. “I told her to imagine what Bonnie must be going through right now. Asked her if she could live with herself if Bonnie would be trapped with Kai forever.”   
   
“The guilt trip? Nice idea, Ric.” Damon commented, sounding impressed. Ric shrugged. “I promised that we`d protect her from Kai, no matter what. And I intend to keep that promise.” The older Salvatore only waved dismissively. “We won`t let him get out. Believe me, he`s no fun company at all.” The teacher looked doubtful, but didn’t comment. Instead he turned to Stefan and asked about his conversation with Caroline. It was starting to grate on the younger Salvatore`s nerves. “We talked. It`s fine.” he answered curtly. Couldn`t they just leave him alone?  
   
“Stefan is feeling a bit sensitive about the subject.” Damon told Ric in a whisper. “But never mind, he was just about to leave anyways.” Stefan looked at his brother in annoyance. He actually hadn’t meant to leave yet. But since the older one was obviously keen to be rid of him he wouldn’t force his company upon them. It seemed that Damon hadn’t missed him nearly as much as he had missed Damon. His older brother preferred to spend time with Alaric. And that hurt.  
   
So the younger Salvatore said his goodbyes and was almost at the door when Damon suddenly called: “See you tomorrow, Stefan. Around noon? You could come over for lunch.” He looked back for a second, unable to keep the smile off his face. “Sounds good. See you then.” he agreed. Maybe Damon had missed him after all.  
   
***  
   
After Stefan had left Damon and Ric enjoyed their dinner together, before settling on the couch with a bottle of bourbon. “That must be the last one. We need to stock up again.” the teacher commented, pouring both of them a generous shot. “Already did. I went shopping while you had your little chat with Jo. We`re good for the next couple of days.” Damon let him know, while he got comfortable. He propped his feet up on the coffee table and slumped against Ric`s side.  
   
The teacher stiffened for a second at the close contact, but then forced himself to relax. They had done this thousands of times in the past, he reminded himself. Damon had always liked to get close to him when it was just the two of them, relaxing together. “I would`ve never pegged you for such a good roommate.” Ric commented, hoping Damon hadn’t noticed his hesitation. “You go shopping, you cook for me… I might just keep you.” he joked.  
   
The dark-haired vampire chuckled. “Well, hate to tell you Ric, but as soon as we get rid of that stupid anti-magic-spell I`m moving back into my own house.” he told the teacher. “Although… you’re quite welcome to join me there. We´ve got room enough.” he offered then and Ric couldn’t help the flutter in his stomach he felt at the thought that Damon wanted to continue living with him. “Thanks. Guess I’ll think about it when we actually do manage to get rid of the anti-magic-spell.”  
   
“Of course we´ll get rid of it. As soon as we got Bon-Bon back we`ll tackle that problem. I mean, how hard can it be? What were you guys doing while I was gone?” Damon snarked. Ric thought back to all the research he`d been doing. The leads he had sent Stefan. The endless discussions with Caroline. The fear he had felt of never seeing Damon again.  
   
The dark-haired vampire noticed his sudden quietness and shifted to look at him. “Honestly, Ric. What were you doing? You heard my story. What about yours?” he asked, all mirth gone. Alaric looked at him and once more found himself nearly drowning in those beautiful, blue eyes. “Tell me.” Damon prodded. The teacher tore his gaze away with some difficulty, but he could still feel Damon watching him. Hesitating just a little he started talking.  
   
He told Damon all about his research. About sending leads to Stefan, who checked them out, but always came up empty handed. About Caroline`s feverish tries to undo the spell keeping them out of Mystic Falls. About the one time he had met up with Enzo to compare notes and almost ended up punching the guy.  
   
He told him about Jeremy, who was on another downward spiral. About Elena`s refusal to talk about what had happened or even acknowledge it. About the helplessness he felt over not being able to help the Gilbert siblings. And he talked about those first few days, when he`d mostly hidden from everyone. Loathing himself for what he had become. For the blood-lust that kept threatening to overtake him and that he just couldn’t control.   
   
“And since Elena kept nagging at me I finally compelled myself the job at Whitmore College. It`s cool to be a teacher again, even if I can’t teach history anymore. Occult studies is fun, too. Usually work helps me feel more normal. But some days it`s hard to focus on the subject at hand and not on the blood I can hear rushing through my students veins.” he finally ended.   
   
Damon was still almost cuddled against his side, facing away from him. Ric was glad for that fact. It had been easier to talk without the other vampire looking at him. “I know it´s hard, but you’re getting better, right?” Damon asked. “Yes, I am. Thanks to you.” the teacher said honestly. Damon`s tutoring had already helped a lot. He still didn’t exactly like being a vampire, but it was getting easier to accept. The dark-haired vampire turned to look at him, a smile playing about his lips. “Do I sense a compliment in there?”  
   
Ric chuckled. “Maybe. I guess you’re a decent teacher.” Damon looked offended. “Decent? Look at everything I’ve already taught you. I do everything to make a proper vampire out of you and this is what I get? Decent? You know if Stefan would be teaching you, you’d be in the forest right now, hunting Bambi.” he pointed out. “Okay, I guess I could do worse for a teacher.” Ric agreed and laughed at the mock glare Damon sent his way.  
   
“I guess I should just leave you to yourself. Since you obviously can´t appreciate my genius.” the dark-haired vampire decided with a pout. And although he knew that they were only joking around, the thought of Damon leaving made panic rise in Alaric. When Damon tried to get up off the couch he grabbed his wrist without thinking, yanking him back down. “Don`t leave.” The older vampire had obviously not expected this move and therefore overbalanced and ended up in Alaric`s lap instead of the couch.  
   
The teacher blushed at the awkward position. He opened his mouth to say something, anything to break the sudden tension, but no sound came out. And to make matters worse, Damon made no move to get up. He simply stared at Ric. “Don`t leave me.” the teacher heard himself whispering. “I won`t.” Damon whispered back. Their gazes locked and both felt unable to move. Alaric`s eyes flickered over Damon`s face, noting his slightly parted lips, like he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs. Slowly the teacher leaned forward…


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some brotherly bonding. And the beginnings of a plan.

Slowly the teacher leaned forward…

And then his phone rang, making them both jump in shock. Damon finally got to his feet, looking anywhere but at the teacher. “I’ll better… get that.” Ric mumbled and went to answer the phone. Some drunk guy was slurring at him that he needed a cab and Ric didn’t know whether he wanted to punch him or thank him for the interruption. After telling him none-too-friendly that he`d obviously dialed the wrong number he hung up and chanced a glance in Damon´s direction.   
   
The dark-haired vampire was standing next to the couch, fiddling with a button on his shirt and looking up at him from under his lashes. “I guess I’ll better go to bed. It`s late and I´ve got to work tomorrow.” Alaric spoke up after a few seconds of tense silence. “Yeah and I´ve got to talk to some witches.” Damon agreed. The teacher bid him goodnight and retired to his room, already knowing he was in for yet another sleepless night.  
   
***    
   
Stefan showed up at the flat around noon the next day. Damon was making sandwiches, while trying to push last night´s events out of his mind. Things had been a little tense this morning. Ric had been up early and had already made breakfast when the dark-haired vampire joined him. The teacher had mostly busied himself with the newspaper. They never talked much in the morning, but the silence had been weird and a little awkward. Still, Damon was sure they would be over it by tonight. Whatever IT actually was.  
   
“So, what are your plans for today?” the younger Salvatore asked, digging into his lunch. “I don’t really have any plans so far.” Damon said with a shrug. “No plans? I thought you were looking for a witch to help you with bringing Bonnie back.” Stefan reminded. “What do you think I’ve been doing all day?” the older one asked rhetorically. “You already found a witch?” Stefan asked in surprise. “It`s not that hard, you know? There are enough of those running around. I called vampire Barbie and asked her where I could find blond and blonder. She told me to call Tyler, since he`s obviously dating Liv now. And what do you know, she was at his house.”  
   
“Why did you call Caroline?” Stefan wanted to know, completely ignoring the rest of the story. Damon rolled his eyes. “Because that girl pays attention to everyone and everything. And like I already mentioned she`s extremely well organized. If anyone would have the witchy-twins numbers it would be her.” he explained, before adding: “Don`t worry, we didn’t talk about you.” His brother looked relieved at that. No need to let him know that they had indeed talked about him.  
   
Damon had asked Caroline if they had finally kissed and made up. Like expected she had huffed and told him it was none of his business. When he`d told her that his little brother could be really dense sometimes and suggested she should just tie Stefan to her bed and have her way with him she had squealed in indignation and claimed she was so over her silly little crush. Yeah, right.  
   
“So… Liv agreed to help you? Just like that?” Stefan looked doubtful. “Yes, just like that. Wasn`t even hard to convince her, actually. She`s looking for a way to send me to 1994 prison world again, so I can find Bonnie and bring her back. I`m waiting for her to tell me what the spell requires.”  
   
Stefan looked surprised. “You want to go back?” he asked in shock. “I have to go back. I can’t leave her stuck there.” the older Salvatore murmured. He owed it to Bonnie after she had risked her life to save him. “Don`t worry, brother. Ric already promised to come with me. And Liv said it shouldn`t be too hard to bring us back, once she found the right spell.” he assured. The witch had sounded pretty sure of herself and he really had no choice but to trust her.  
   
“Does anyone else know about your plan?” the younger Salvatore wanted to know. “Only Ric. Caroline knows I`m trying to bring Bonnie back and I suppose so does Elena, but I haven`t told them any details.” He actually hadn’t talked to Elena at all since the fundraiser, he realized with a start. And strangely enough he didn’t really miss her. Maybe he was finally ready to move on.  
   
***

After they had finished their lunch Stefan suggested going out. They went to a bar, but after only one round of drinks some guy suddenly stumbled over and attacked Stefan. Damon watched his brother fight the guy off with mild amusement. Stefan in a bar brawl wasn’t something you saw every day. Unfortunately the bartender deemed the younger Salvatore responsible for the fight and threw them out. Since there were too many people present to use compulsion without looking suspicious, they left.  
   
“So… what was that all about?” Damon asked while they strolled towards Whitmore. “I picked a fight with him before. Elena compelled him to forget, but I guess the compulsion wore off. Maybe when she became human again. Or maybe he was in Mystic Falls...” the younger one mumbled without looking at him. “Wait a second… You picked a fight? You? And Elena had to save your ass?” The dark-haired vampire couldn’t believe his ears. “I guess I … I wasn’t doing so well without you.” Stefan admitted quietly.  
   
Damon felt a lump in his throat, only now realizing fully how much his brother must have missed him. In his anger at Stefan for giving up on him he had never thought much about how Stefan must have felt. About why he had given up hope. He threw an arm around Stefan´s shoulders and pulled him closer. “Well… lucky for you, I`m back now. So no more bar-brawls, yeah? Don´t embarrass me young man.” he ordered sternly and Stefan laughed, returning the one-armed hug for a moment. “I`m embarrassing you? More like the other way around.” he shot back. “I`m not the one who got us thrown out.” Damon pointed out.  
   
They had reached the campus and saw Elena talking to Jo in front of the hospital. The doctor shot Damon a dark look and disappeared inside, while Elena headed towards the brothers. “What did you do to Jo?” she asked accusingly. The dark-haired vampire held up his hands in mock surrender. “Nothing, I swear. I haven`t even talked to her lately.” He seriously had no idea what the death-glare had been all about. Maybe she blamed him for almost getting killed by her father. Then again, she had never really seemed to like him much.  
   
“And what are you doing here?” Elena continued the interrogation. Damon wondered for a moment if she had always been this annoying. “Just some brotherly bonding.” he answered. The brunette looked skeptical. “We went for a walk, after Stefan got us thrown out of the bar.” the older Salvatore let her know and she turned her accusing glare on Stefan. “Did you pick a fight again?” Damon had a lot of fun watching his brother try to explain himself.  
   
“I think he´s still a little out of it, after ruining his relationship with Caroline.” the older one claimed. “I did not ruin …!” Stefan started protesting, but the ringing of Damon´s phone interrupted him. “Oh, that´s important. If you`ll excuse me…” He brought some distance between himself and the other two, before answering: “I hope you`ve got good news.”  
   
“I do. I found the right spell.” Liv said. “But we need the Ascendant and the blood of a Bennett-witch for it work.” Damon sighed. They already had the Ascendant, the blood however would be a little more difficult to get. But he would think of something. “I’ll get it. Anything else?” he asked. “Not really. I`m going to need the moon to activate the Ascendant. So you'd better hurry, unless you want to wait for the next full moon. Aside from that it shouldn`t be a problem.”  
   
“And you’re sure you can bring us back?” the vampire checked. “I`m sure. Pulling you back will actually be the easy part.” She sounded sincere. “Alright. I’ll give you a call when I got what you need.” Damon promised, before hanging up, already thinking about the Bennetts he knew. The biggest problem was that there weren’t many of them anymore. Bonnie´s mother was a vampire, so her blood was probably out of the question.  
   
“Bad news?” Stefan asked, appearing next to him. “No, no. Liv just needs a bit more time.” Damon lied, not even sure why he wasn’t telling his brother the truth. “Okay. Elena and I are going to get some coffee. Her shift at the hospital just finished and thanks to you she`s concerned about my well-being now.” the younger one said with a scowl. “Always glad to be of help, Stefan.” Damon replied cheekily. Stefan just muttered something under his breath and left to catch up with Elena.  
   
The older Salvatore watched them disappear into a cafe, pondering the Bennett-line again, wishing he`d paid better attention to them. There must be someone still alive, but he couldn’t think of anyone. He was close to giving up when it suddenly hit him. Lucy! The witch who had helped Katherine, but ended up betraying her because of her cousin Bonnie. She had liked Bonnie and Damon knew that they had kept in touch after their first, fateful meeting. Bon-Bon had told him they sometimes talked on the phone. She might be willing to help.  
   
He didn’t know where exactly she lived, only that it was somewhere in North Carolina. But he was pretty sure Caroline would know where to find her. The only problem was that he would have to drive there alone, since Ric had to work. And after the strange encounter last night he was reluctant to leave the teacher alone. He remembered Ric`s whispered plea “Please don’t leave me.” all too clearly. Just like his own promise that he wouldn’t leave.   
   
Thinking back to last night made up his mind. He couldn’t go. The teacher needed him. But he didn’t want to wait for the weekend either. It would mean wasting another two days and having to wait another month for the next full moon. Suddenly a smile stretched over his lips. Well, he just would have to send someone else then. And he was pretty sure he knew the perfect man for the job.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter this time. Go me! But sorry, not so much Dalaric in this one. It's more of a Carenzo chapter actually. But I promise you an all Dalaric-chapter next time.

Caroline kicked open the door to her dorm room, trying to balance a pile of books that was so high she couldn’t even see where she was going. More research on how to get rid of the anti-magic-spell. Even if anyone else was busy with other things, she wouldn’t give up so easily. She wanted to spend Christmas at home, damn it!  
   
Suddenly the pile canted to the left and the topmost book started slipping, but before it could fall off someone came to her aid and helped her put the books down on the table. “Oof, that was close. Thanks, Ele… Enzo?” She stared at the dark-haired vampire in surprise. “What are you doing in my room?” He completely ignored the question and instead picked up one of the books. “The history of witchcraft. Interesting choice. Trying to impress your occult studies professor? What kind of subject is that anyways?”  
   
Caroline took the book out of his hands and placed it back on the pile. “I mostly take that because Alaric is the professor. But these books aren`t for college. That`s research on how to get rid of that stupid Travelers spell.” she explained. “Yeah, that`s a real pain in the ass, isn`t it?” Enzo mused. The blonde just rolled her eyes. “What are you doing here?” she asked again. “I was hoping you might join me for another little road trip.” he finally answered.  
   
“Because the last ones went so well?” she challenged. On their first road trip she had tried to save Stefan`s doppelganger, only to have Enzo kill him. On their second road trip she had found out that Stefan hadn’t listened to any of her messages. She had cried, Enzo had fought with Stefan and turned Stefan`s girlfriend. Not a great track record. “Three times the charm, gorgeous.” Enzo argued with a wink and she smiled despite herself. Why did she always for his charms?  
   
“I don´t think that´s a good idea. Besides, I’ve got research to do. I want to get rid of that barrier before Christmas.” she declined. But Enzo didn’t give up that easily. “Come on, sweetheart. You don’t want me to drive all on my own? I could end up doing something stupid.” He just might. But she wasn’t his keeper. “This is really important, Enzo.” she insisted. Because it was important. And also because she didn’t think spending time with him was a good idea.  
   
She couldn’t deny that she liked the dark-haired vampire. Enzo was charming and funny and damn good looking, she grudgingly admitted. He had also been there for her when no-one else had. When all of her friends had been too caught up in their own problems. But he was also dangerous and at least slightly evil. And after the whole debacle with Klaus she really didn’t need to go there again.   
   
On the other hand he had proven that he could behave. He had been very polite at the Friends-giving dinner, even though Elena hadn’t hidden her contempt towards him. And he`d been helpful when Jo had almost been killed by her father. While everyone was kinda busy freaking out, he had taken care of Liam. Thankfully by compelling him and not by breaking his neck. Caroline liked to think that she was helping him become a better man.  
   
“What makes you think my road trip is not important?” Enzo challenged, startling her out of her thoughts. “What are you planning? Torturing another hunter? Maybe you could ask Stefan if he wants to come with you.” she shot back, still slightly mad that the two men had conspired behind her back. “Nah, he`s too boring. Would probably preach at me the whole drive, about how I`m a bad influence on his brother.” the dark-haired vampire rolled his eyes and she had to bite back a grin.  
   
“Come with me, Caroline. You won`t regret it. I’ll even help with your research when we`re back.” he offered. The blonde mused that this was probably the first time he had actually used her name. “Where are you even going?” she wanted to know. “North Carolina. Don´t know where exactly. Damon told me to ask you for the address.” Enzo said with a shrug. So Damon had sent him here? Now she was really curious. “Address?” she repeated. “Yeah, we`re supposed to visit a Bennett-witch called Lucy and ask her for a little blood-donation.”  
   
“Lucy? Bonnie`s cousin Lucy?” Caroline asked, completely puzzled. The dark-haired vampire flopped down onto her bed with a sigh. “Okay, guess I need to start from the beginning. Damon wants to save your friend from this weird 1994-prison-world. But to accomplish that he needs blood from a Bennett-witch. So he asked me to visit Lucy and get some of her blood. I think she´s more likely to help if you ask her. Unless you want me to just knock her out and drain her.”  
   
“You will not harm her!” Caroline ordered sternly, appalled at the idea. “And why didn’t you say that straight away? I’ve got her address here somewhere.” She started searching through a drawer, until she found a small book. “There it is.” she muttered under her breath, quickly scribbling Lucy`s address down on a slip of paper. When she was done she frowned down upon Enzo, who was still lounging on her bed, looking completely relaxed. “What are you waiting for? Let`s go.”   
   
He jumped up with a grin. “So, you’re coming with me?” he clarified. Caroline huffed in annoyance. “Yes, I`m coming with you. And now get going. Do you even have a car?” He followed her out of the room, still grinning like a maniac and she took a second to wonder what she had gotten herself into now. But she was doing it for Bonnie, she reasoned. Lucy would give her the blood, if she explained what they needed it for. And she would make sure that Enzo didn´t harm her.  
   
“Of course I do. Right over there.” They had reached the parking lot and Caroline stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the beautiful Porsche he was pointing at. “Where did you get that?” she wanted to know. “Don´t ask questions if you don’t want to know the answer.” Enzo teased, while he opened the passenger door for her. Which probably meant the car was either stolen or he had compelled the owner. The blonde hesitated for just a second before getting in. She could always make him give it back when their mission was completed. For now a fast car couldn’t hurt.   
   
Enzo got into the driver seat and flashed her another grin. “North Carolina, here we come.” She grinned back almost automatically, shaking her head at his antics. Then the engine roared to life and they were tearing out of the parking lot at high speed. Caroline had to suppress a surprised giggle, glancing at the dark-haired vampire out of the corner of her eye. She only hoped this road trip wouldn’t end like the others. Knowing Enzo she was probably hoping in vain. But right now, with the stereo blaring 80`s rock music and the wind whipping her hair around she couldn’t really bring herself to care.  
   
***  
   
Alaric returned home very late that evening. He had lingered at his office a lot longer than necessary, pretending to grade papers and prepare lesson notes, reluctant to face Damon after last night´s events. He couldn’t believe his own stupidity. If his phone hadn’t interrupted them he would`ve kissed the dark-haired vampire. And most likely ruined their friendship by doing so.  
   
He knew it would be better for the both of them if he just kept his distance. But he couldn’t kick Damon out of his flat. The other vampire really had nowhere else to go right now and would never understand why the teacher didn’t want him there. And the problem was that Ric did want him there. More than anything. It felt so good, so right to come home and find Damon already waiting for him. He would never be able to stay away from Damon for long. He just wasn’t strong enough.  
   
When he finally entered his flat he found Damon in the kitchen again. “You’re late.” the dark-haired vampire complained. “Had to finish some work. I sent you a text.” Ric defended himself. “Applying for teacher of the month now?” Ric smiled at the familiar joke and accepted the glass of wine Damon handed him. “Sit down. I made steaks.” The teacher did as told. Watching his friend bustling around the kitchen, he mumbled: “You spoil me.” Damon grinned. “Don´t get used to it.” he warned.   
   
They ate in comfortable silence, occasionally glancing at each other. It was nice and it felt normal. The awkwardness had faded for the moment and Ric hoped it would stay that way. “Did Liv have any luck with the spell yet?” the teacher asked after a while. Damon had sent him a text earlier to let him know that Liv had promised to help them. “Yeah, she found the right one. Said it wouldn´t be a problem. We only need some Bennett-blood to activate the Ascendant and we`re good to go.”  
   
“Bennett-blood?” Ric asked sceptically. “Do you know any Bennetts who might help?” As far as he knew Bonnie didn’t have many living relatives. Especially not from her mother`s side. “I thought Lucy might. She`s Bonnie`s cousin. I sent Enzo to get her blood.” Alaric paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “You sent Enzo?” he asked in disbelief. Of all people Damon had asked his lunatic former cell-mate. This couldn’t end well.  
   
“Yeah, what`s wrong with that?” Damon wondered. “Are you serious? He`ll most likely kill her.” Ric pointed out, but the dark-haired vampire only rolled his eyes. “No, he won`t. First of all, Lucy can take care of herself. She`s quite powerful. Second, I told Enzo that Bonnie would fry his brain as soon as she was back if he harmed her cousin. And third, he took vampire Barbie with him. She`d never let him kill the witch.”  
   
The last part calmed Alaric`s nerves. Caroline obviously knew how to handle Enzo. She would keep an eye on him. “Caroline went with him? That`s good.” he commented. “Yeah, I told him to ask her for the address and she decided to tag along. At least that`s what Enzo said.” Damon murmured. He looked thoughtful. “You know, I think Stefan`s got competition. Enzo seems rather taken with Blondie.” he mused.   
   
Ric snorted. In his opinion Caroline would be a lot better off with Stefan. “You really don’t like him.” Damon observed. “No, I don´t.” Alaric answered honestly. Truth be told, he hadn’t had much dealings with Enzo yet. But Elena had told him a lot about the dark-haired vampire. He was a bad influence on Damon, encouraging his dark side and making him do horrible things. “He`s cocky and arrogant and he kills people for the fun of it.”  
   
“Yeah. Sounds familiar somehow?” the older Salvatore asked. Ric sighed. Yes, it did sound familiar. Damon had been a cocky, arrogant bastard when they`d first met. “You changed for the better.” he pointed out. “Because I realized that I have friends. People I can rely on. I realized that I didn’t have to be alone all the time.” Damon said quietly. “I know that Enzo can be difficult. But he`s my friend. He saved me. If it weren’t for him I don’t think I would`ve survived Augustine.”  
   
Alaric had heard about Augustine. Elena had told him a lot about it. And so had Caroline. He couldn’t even imagine what Damon had been going through. “Enzo was there far longer than I was. He had to endure the torture for decades.” the dark-haired vampire pointed out, almost as if he`d been reading Ric`s thoughts. “So you want me to be nice to him?” the teacher assumed. “I want you to accept that he`s my friend. You don´t have to like him, but you`ve got to accept that he´s a part of my life.” Damon corrected.  
   
“I can do that. As long as he doesn’t make you do stupid things again. Like going on a killing spree or threatening Jeremy, for example.” Ric pointed out. “I was off the rails. You know that I tend to … overreact sometimes.” the dark-haired vampire muttered. “Yeah, I’ve been on the receiving end of you overreacting, remember?” Ric was hinting at the time Damon had broken his neck out of spite. And of course Damon got his meaning. “I apologized.” he pointed out, looking almost hurt that his friend brought it up again. “And I forgave you.” the teacher said softly.  
   
For just a moment their eyes met and Ric`s breath caught in his throat. Then Damon lowered his eyes and shrugged. “I’ll try not to do anything stupid.” he promised. “How could I, with you here to look after me? You`ve always been my conscious.” The teacher smiled a little at that. “Well, someone has to try to keep you in line. And I’ve never shied away from a difficult job.” he joked and the dark-haired vampire chuckled. “Maybe that`ll work for Enzo as well. And I think vampire Barbie would be perfect for that job.” Damon mused.  
   
Alaric had to admit that he did have a point. “I guess she might be able to keep him in check.” he agreed. And she seemed to like Enzo, although the teacher couldn’t understand why. The guy was obnoxious and arrogant. But you couldn’t help who you fell for, he mused, looking at Damon. In the early days of their friendship no-one had understood why he liked the older Salvatore. Ric least of all.  
   
The beeping of Damon`s phone made them both look up. “Enzo says they got the blood and they`ll be back by tomorrow.” he relayed after reading the short message. “Good. I guess that means our trip to the past is taking place tomorrow?” the teacher guessed. “I`m going to call Liv tomorrow morning. If everything goes according to plan, we should be ready around noon.” Alaric nodded. “Tomorrow around noon then.”   
   
***  
   
“What are you doing? Concentrate on the road.” Caroline shrieked and tried to take the phone away from Enzo. The guy was seriously texting while driving at top speed. He only laughed and held the phone out of reach. “Relax, darling. I`m totally capable of multitasking.” he claimed. The blonde huffed in annoyance. “Yeah, I`d rather not test that theory. A car crash would seriously ruin my dress, you know?” Enzo laughed and finished typing. “I would never crash a lovely car like this. Especially with a lovely lady like you inside.”  
   
Caroline crossed her arms over her chest and stared out of the window. She would not blush. No matter how many sweet compliments he paid her. No matter how much his stupid voice sent shivers down her spine. “I was just letting Damon know that we got the blood.” he explained. He still sounded like he was grinning, but she didn’t want to look at him and check. “I hope you told him that we only got it thanks to me.” she snarked, only to have him laugh at her.  
   
Really, if it hadn’t been for her, this trip might have very well ended with him dead. Okay, she had to admit that it had gone a lot better than their previous road trips. If you overlooked the little fact that Enzo had greeted Lucy with bared fangs and the words: “We came to ask for a blood-donation.” and Lucy had answered by frying his brain. While Enzo had been writhing on the ground, Caroline had quickly explained the situation and why exactly they needed help. The witch had been shocked at Bonnie`s predicament and reluctantly agreed to give them a sample of her blood.  
   
“Not my fault she had no sense of humor.” Enzo insisted. The blonde snorted and refrained from answering that one, still stubbornly refusing to look at him. Therefore she missed the fond look the dark-haired vampire cast her way. She really was gorgeous. And fiery. And she had no problem calling him on his bullshit. He could appreciate that.   
   
“It`s late. Why don´t we spend the night at a motel and drive the rest of the way in the morning?” he suggested. Caroline gave him a suspicious look. They didn’t really need much sleep and she hadn’t counted on staying somewhere overnight. “I didn’t even pack spare clothes.” she pointed out. “So? We`ll just buy some new ones.” Enzo shrugged it off. “Come on, gorgeous. Do you really want to drive the whole night?”  
   
He did have a point, she had to admit. She really didn’t feel like sitting in the car for another four hours. They had spent half the day in this car already. “Alright. Let`s find a motel.” she finally gave in and looked over in time to catch Enzo`s grin. “You won`t regret it, sweetheart.” he promised. Caroline was pretty sure she already did.  
   
***

A few minutes later they parked in front of a decent looking motel. While Enzo went to get them rooms, Caroline bought a few necessities at the drugstore across the street. When she came back to the car the dark-haired vampire was already waiting for her. “Room number 14.” he muttered, holding up the key. “Great. And what room will you be staying in?” she asked, making a grab for the key. Enzo held it just out of reach and declared with a smirk. “Number 14.” It took a second until the implication sunk in. “Wait.. you got us a double room?” Caroline checked. “Sure I did..” he replied.  
   
“No, no, no. No way. I`m not sharing a room with you.” the blonde protested. “They only had one room left. Apparently there`s some sort of convention in town. The clerk said we`re lucky to get a room at all.” Enzo claimed. Caroline couldn’t tell if he was being honest or not. “You coming, gorgeous?”  
   
There really was nothing she could do, short of making a scene. With a resigned sigh she followed him to the door. The room looked and smelled clean and at least there were two beds. Enzo flopped down on one bed, put his hands behind his head and grinned up at her. “Cozy, don’t you think?” She only rolled her eyes and marched into the bathroom, where she started unpacking her purchases.  
   
Of course he followed her a moment later, watching her bustling around the room, putting everything where it belonged. “You know what kind of shower gel I use?” Enzo asked in surprise, taking the bottle out of her hands. Caroline quickly averted her eyes. Yes she knew. Weirdly enough it was the same one Damon had used during the time he had compelled her to play his girlfriend. She had always liked the scent and had been glad when Damon switched to a different brand. Smelling it on him always reminded her of her time as his human blood bag. Smelling it on Enzo however, was something else entirely.   
   
“That`s what you usually use? What a coincidence. I just grabbed the first bottle I found.” she lied, still not looking at the dark-haired vampire. It wouldn’t do to give him ideas. “Yeah, sure.” he replied. He didn’t believe her for a second. Caroline ignored him and put the rest of the stuff away.   
   
When she finally turned back to face him she was shocked to see him pulling his shirt off. “What are you doing?” she asked irritably, trying in vain not to stare at his muscular torso. “I want to take a shower. So I´m taking my clothes off.” he explained with a shrug, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And you couldn’t wait for me to leave the bathroom?” Enzo`s grin only got bigger. “Actually I was hoping you might join me.” Caroline gasped. “In your dreams!” she replied indignantly, before storming out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.  
   
She sank down onto the bed Enzo had occupied only minutes before and buried her head in her hands. What had she gotten herself into? Why had she agreed to spend the night at a motel? Why had she agreed to share a room with him? She should`ve known he would try to get into her pants. He had been flirting with her from the moment they`d met.   
   
And although she had to admit that he was rather handsome and that he could be quite charming if he wanted to, she was determined not to go there. It was a bad idea, right? Almost as bad as sleeping with Klaus. Something she still regretted deeply and usually tried to push far out of her mind. Because seriously, what had she been thinking? Sleeping with the guy who had hurt her friends. The guy who had killed Jenna, killed Tyler`s mom, threatened all of them repeatedly and almost gotten her killed twice. She had regretted it instantly.   
   
And yet some small part of her hadn´t. For once she had done something reckless and selfish, without caring about the consequences or the opinion of others. She had slept with Klaus because she had wanted him. Pure and simple. And it had been almost okay when he`d left her afterwards, hopefully never to return. She had gotten it out of her system and was ready to get on with her life. Still didn’t mean it hadn’t been a mistake. And it certainly didn’t mean she had to repeat that mistake with the next good-looking, charming bad-boy.

As if on cue she heard the bathroom door open and footsteps padding closer. Sighing she looked up. A move she regretted instantly, because Enzo was wearing nothing but a towel, slung low around his waist. Little droplets of water were still clinging to his skin, catching her eye as they slowly rolled down his chest to disappear in the towel. Caroline quickly averted her eyes, hoping he hadn’t caught her staring.

"Shower`s yours, if you want it." Enzo commented lightly, coming even closer. "It think I’ll pass." she muttered, stubbornly refusing to look up at him again. He stopped right in front of her. "What`s the matter, gorgeous? You seem edgy." he remarked. "I`m fine. Just tired, that´s all." she lied, getting up and facing him, despite her better judgment. 

He was giving her a scary intense look. "I`m glad you came with me today." he muttered sincerely. Caroline shrugged it off. "Of course you are. I saved your ass." she shot back. "That you did. But that´s not what I meant." he clarified with a smirk. "I enjoy your company, Caroline. Too bad I have to whisk you away on a road-trip to get it."

She didn’t really know what to say. The easy flirting she could take. He was a flirt and it wasn’t that hard to shoot him down when he treated her like any other girl. But somehow this felt different. More honest. The way he was looking at her, the seriousness of his tone... It was hard not to fall for that. "You shouldn`t get used to my company. I only agreed to come with you to help Bonnie." she defended her actions. "So that means if I ask you out to dinner..."

"The answer is no." Caroline interrupted, although dinner sounded kinda nice. But he was evil and unscrupulous, she reminded herself. Better not go there. Besides, there was still Stefan, although just thinking about him hurt. She was over her silly little crush, right? It wouldn’t do to make a habit of falling for Elena`s ex-boyfriends, she told herself firmly. It had gotten her nowhere with Matt, it would get her nowhere with Stefan. 

"Why not? You´re not still hung up on Damon`s little brother, are you?" Enzo asked, as if he´d been reading her thoughts. "What? No, of course not. Okay, maybe I had a little crush on Stefan. But that`s over." she replied indignantly. "He doesn’t deserve you, gorgeous." the dark-haired vampire insisted, almost making her laugh at the absurdity of the statement. "Oh and I guess you do?" she challenged, unknowingly repeating Stefan`s words. 

Enzo just looked at her closely for a second. "No, surely a bastard like me doesn’t deserve an angel like you. But one can still dream, right?" he finally murmured. And he sounded so sincere and almost defeated that she found no reply. "You’re probably right, gorgeous. I’ll never change. I shouldn`t be worth your time." he conceded, turning away. 

Maybe it was only a trick to gain her interest, but Caroline didn’t care. He sounded so downcast. "You can change." she argued. "But you have to want it." He turned back towards her and she couldn’t miss the hopeful glint in his eyes. "So you don’t think I`m a lost cause?" he asked quietly and without his usual cockiness. 

"I guess you’re just a little lost." she answered hesitantly. "After all this time with Augustine... You probably just need a new purpose in life." Enzo looked truly surprised. "You think so?" Caroline began to feel restless under the intensity of his stare. "Yes. But what do I know, right?" she joked weakly. "You know, I think I’ll take that shower now." she decided. Anything to get away from him, before she could do something stupid.

But when she tried to walk past him, Enzo grabbed her arm and pulled her close. She had no time to react when his lips descended onto hers. Throwing caution to the wind she returned the surprisingly gentle kiss, looping her arms around his neck in the process. She felt a little dazed when he finally pulled back enough to study her with his soft brown eyes.

Caroline realized that he was giving her the chance to back out. If she pushed him away now, nothing more would happen tonight. Of that she was sure. The only problem was, that she didn’t want to push him away. She had spent days battling her growing attraction towards him. All in vain. Knowing she would regret this come morning, she ignored the nagging voice in her head, telling her to stop right now and pulled Enzo down for another kiss.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I don't know when I'll have time tomorrow, I thought I'll put the new chapter up now. Don't want to keep you waiting. And then I'm off to bed. I should really try to get more sleep during the week, but somehow I just can't manage... Oh and more notes at the bottom

It was early morning when Jeremy stopped by Ric´s office for a visit, after Ric had called him last night, asking him if they could talk. He thought it would be a good idea to inform the teen of their plan. After all, Jeremy still believed Bonnie had found peace. To the teacher´s surprise he didn’t react as happy as expected to the news that she was still alive and only stuck in an otherworldly prison.   
   
“Liv found a way to send us over there, so we can find Bonnie and bring her back.” he explained, but Jeremy only frowned. “And if you can't?” he asked. “I`m not saying it´s going to be easy, but we have a plan. It will work, Jer. We`re doing this today and we`re getting her back.” Ric promised. “Okay, great. Tonight I will see Bonnie again and everything is gonna go back to the way it was. Because I have never heard that before.” the teen snarked.  
   
“I know this is hard for you. But I thought you needed to know and…” Alaric didn’t get to finish his sentence, because Jeremy got up, shaking his head. “Just leave it, Ric.” he muttered darkly and left without a backwards glance. The teacher watched him go sadly. After Jenna`s death, Jeremy had been his responsibility and he couldn’t help but feel that he´d failed the boy. Sighing he got ready for the next period, hoping that everything would become a little easier once Bonnie was back.

***

Most of the day was kind of a blur after that. Alaric taught his lessons mechanically and went about his day as usual, but his thoughts were far away, wondering what could possibly go wrong with their plan. He was glad that he could go home shortly after noon.

But once back in his flat, Damon told him that they would have to wait until nightfall. “Liv needs the full moon.” he explained. Which meant they still had a few hours to kill. The teacher tried grading papers, but gave up on it soon. He just couldn't concentrate. Instead he started pacing through the flat.

“You’re making me nervous.” Damon grumbled after a while. “Sorry, just can’t sit still.” the teacher mumbled apologetically. Damon snorted and poured them drinks, before sitting down on the couch. “Come here.” he ordered. Ric obeyed reluctantly and sank down next to him. He took a sip of his drink and stiffened when the older vampire slouched down next to him, propping his feet up on the teacher`s lap. Taking a deep breath he forced himself to relax. They had sat like that a thousand times, he reminded himself.  
   
For a while they sat in comfortable silence, sipping their drinks. Damon was the first to speak up, like always. He hated these long silences. Without really meaning to he found himself talking of the four months stuck in this prison world again. “Well, at least it was better than my imprisonment with Augustine. At least in the Gemini-world I usually didn’t get tortured. Unless you count having to listen to witchy all day.” he muttered sarcastically.   
   
“Tell me about Augustine.” Ric asked quietly. Damon shot him a confused look, wondering where this request was coming from. “I heard about it from Elena. But I want to hear your version. No, wait. I want to hear the truth. All of it. Not just what you`ve told Elena.” Because somehow he was sure that she didn´t know half of it. The dark-haired vampire looked at him for a long moment. Then he complied with a sigh and started telling him about the torture, the endless experiments, the starvation.  
   
Absently Ric started caressing Damon`s legs where they rested in his lap, while he listened to the dark tale. “Maybe now you can understand why Enzo and I are friends.” the dark-haired vampire finished after a while. “Yeah, I can see how an experience like this would bind you together. And I understand that you don’t want to disappoint him again. Still doesn’t mean I have to like him.” the teacher pointed out. Damon chuckled. “Fair enough.” 

He stretched like a cat after a nap and Ric finally realized that one of his hands was still stroking Damon´s leg. He quickly pulled away, praying the other vampire hadn’t noticed. “Okay, enough of the gloomy talk. It`s getting depressing. Why don't we head for the cemetery? The moon should rise soon.” The teacher agreed so they left. 

It was just getting dark when they reached the old cemetery. Liv was already waiting for them. The teacher felt nervous, although he did his best not to show it. At least Liv looked confident and she had proven her powers quite a few times already. He thanked the witch for helping them, but she shrugged it off. “It was a good excuse to get out of that frat house. Living with three boys – not my idea of fun.” she commented with a shudder and Ric smiled. He could imagine. “So, you got everything?” the witch asked.  
   
“Yep. Blood from a Bennett, Lucy to be exact and an Ascendant from whatever the hell your last name is.” Damon answered, handing her the necessary items. “Parker.” Liv mumbled, taking the Ascendant and inspecting it. “Okay, I`m going to use the moon to activate the Ascendant. It will be viable for about 8 hours, so once I send you over, the clock's ticking.” she warned. “And how do we get back?” Alaric asked a little sceptically.  
   
Liv handed each of them a vial with red liquid and told them to drink it. “It's my blood. It will link you to me so I can find you and pull you back.” she explained, before handing them a third vial for Bonnie. The two vampires shared a look, both wondering what they were getting themselves into. The witch rolled her eyes at their hesitancy and told them to drink. Shrugging they did as told. Ric shuddered a little at the slightly bitter taste. Well, at least that might keep him from attacking Liv any time soon.

“And what now?” Damon asked impatiently. “Now we wait for the moon to reach the right position. Then I'll cast the spell.” Liv explained patiently. She sat down on the ground and looked into the sky. Both vampires remained standing at first, at a loss what to do. But when it didn't look like anything would happen any time soon they sat down in the grass as well. “And how long do we wait?” the dark-haired vampire wanted to know. The witch gave him a dark look. “As long as it takes.”

“Do you have any idea where we'll find Bonnie once we reach the prison-world?” Alaric asked in an attempt to get his friends attention and stop him from annoying Liv any further. Damon reminded him very much of a kid, asking “Are we there yet?” every five minutes. And even if he thought it was rather cute, he seriously doubted that Liv shared his opinion.

“Well, we spent most of our time at the boarding house or on the Gilberts front-porch. So I guess we look there.” Damon mused. Sounded easy enough. They had eight hours. If Bonnie really was either at the Salvatores or the Gilberts they should have more than enough time to find her and bring her home. 

Slowly Alaric was getting restless as well, but Liv still didn't make any attempt to start the spell. “But we need to be careful. There's a pork rind-munching freak somewhere over there. Don't forget that. If we happen to meet Kai, we don't ask questions and we don't let him start talking. We kill him. Quickly. No hesitation, got it? The guy has the annoying habit of not staying dead, anyways.” Damon insisted. The teacher nodded. While he didn't like the thought of killing someone, in this case it was justified. And like Damon had pointed out, Kai wouldn't even stay dead.

The dark-haired vampire glanced at Liv again, but before he could start asking questions she got up and declared: “Okay. It's time.” The two vampires got up as well, moving to stand next to her. Damon held out his hand and Alaric took it without hesitation. They watched as Liv poured Lucy`s blood over the Ascendant and started chanting. 

Alaric tried to ready himself for whatever came next. But he wasn't expecting Tyler Lockwood to come running up to them, shouting Liv's name. And neither was the witch. She looked to her boyfriend and her concentration broke. “What the hell do you want? Your girlfriend's busy.” Damon snapped, giving the former werewolf a dark look. He really couldn't use this interruption right now. “Kai is here. He attacked Luke and tried to steal his magic. I have to get Liv back to Mystic Falls. She's not safe here.” Tyler gasped. 

“Oh my god. Where's Luke? Is he okay? Did he get hurt?” Liv asked, close to panicking. “Don't worry. He's fine.” her boyfriend assured. “I stumbled upon them by chance and together we managed to fend Kai off. I sent Luke home with Matt and promised to get you. But we have to hurry. We managed to shake Kai, so I have no idea where he is right now. He found Luke. Which probably means he can find you as well.” Liv nodded and attempted to follow him, but Damon blocked her way.

“No way. First you will send us back to 1994. We have to save Bonnie.” the dark-haired vampire demanded. “I can’t. I`m sorry, but Tyler is right. I have to get back to Mystic Falls. Now.” Liv whispered, slowly backing away. Damon looked murderous. He took a menacing step towards the witch. “Start the damn spell.” he ordered, but she shook her head. “It's too late. We have to wait for the next full moon. I`m sorry. Really. But I have to go.” she repeated, handing him the ascendant, before heading towards Mystic Falls with Tyler. 

Damon´s shoulders slumped while he watched them go. He had failed Bonnie. Again. He startled a little when he felt Ric`s hand on his arm. “Come on, let`s go home.” the teacher urged quietly. But Damon shook his head and sank down to the ground. "I failed her, Ric. I left her stuck there on her own. Again." he muttered darkly. Alaric sat down next to him. "Hey, don’t give up. We failed this time. Let`s try again. There’s going to be another full moon. We`ll get her back, Damon."

“And what if it's too late by then? Kai escaped. He's here, for fucks sake. What if... what if he killed her? Or injured her? What if she's bleeding to death right this very minute? Scared and all alone.” the dark-haired vampire whispered. “Don't even think that. Bonnie's a fighter. She survived his first attack and tricked him by sending the teddy with her magic here. Maybe she escaped and that's why he came back alone. She won't give up and neither will we. We wait for the next full moon and then we'll bring Bonnie home.” Alaric promised.

Before the dark-haired vampire could reply, another voice interrupted. "You’re talking about Bonnie Bennett, right? Well, I think she's totally annoying. That's why I left her in my prison-world. And she will stay there. Forever." Alaric didn’t have to ask who the newcomer was. He remembered the pictures they had seen in Portland and Damon´s reaction in itself spoke volumes, too. With a growl he pounced on Kai, who sent him flying through the air with a simple wave of his hand. Damon landed hard and writhed in pain. "I took some of Luke`s magic earlier." the warlock explained with a manic grin.

Alaric tried to rush to his friend´s aid, but he too sank down onto his knees when a searing pain exploded inside his head. Both vampires could only watch helplessly as Kai picked up the ascendant and destroyed it with a fire spell. 

As soon as the pain had lessened, the teacher got up. But Kai had obviously expected this move, because he only laughed and was already backing away, while gathering the smoldering remains of the ascendant with a lazy wave of his hand. He had crossed the the border into Mystic Falls before Ric even got close.

Damon and Alaric watched him as he walked away, unable to stop him. There was nothing they could do. Soon the night had swallowed him and the echo of his laughter died away. Damon looked down onto the grass, where Kai had burned the ascendant. Even if they somehow managed to get it back from Kai, they both knew that it was destroyed beyond repair. "We`ll find another way." Ric promised. Damon nodded mechanically, but it was clear to see that he didn’t believe him. 

After a while they made their way back home slowly and quietly. Both stopped short however, when they reached Ric`s flat and found Jeremy sitting on the doorstep. He got up when he spied them and the dark-haired vampire almost flinched at the loathing he could see in the boy´s eyes. “Let me guess, something went wrong. Bonnie`s still stuck there.”  
   
“We were on our way to get her, but …” Alaric started, but Jeremy interrupted him: “But at the last minute, something went wrong and it didn't work. Well, at least Damon is fine, right?” he sneered. “It`s not his fault. Liv couldn't do the spell, because her brother....” Ric argued, only to be interrupted again. “Yeah, it´s never his fault. No matter what he does, who he hurts or how much he fucks up, people always find excuses for him. I`m sick of it!” the teen spat, pushing past them and running away. 

Ric sighed in defeat and looked over at Damon, expecting to see him seething with anger or smirking over Jeremy`s little tantrum. He was shocked however to see the dark-haired vampire staring after Jeremy with a pained look on his face.  
   
Not knowing what to say he opened the door and ushered Damon inside. The older Salvatore went straight to the kitchen and got a drink. “Don`t mind him. He`s just angry and needs someone to blame.” Ric tried to explain. “No, he´s right. It`s my fault. I shouldn`t have left her there all alone with Kai.” Damon mumbled, downing another shot. “Bonnie used her magic to send you back. It was her choice and you couldn’t have stopped her.” the teacher argued.  
   
But Damon didn’t even seem to be listening. He just stared out of the window and ignored him. Ric waited, but when it didn't look like he would move any time soon, he took a step towards him, planning to shake some sense into him if need be. But a knock at the door interrupted them. Opening it he came face to face with an angry Elena. “Is it true?” she asked shrilly, pushing past him into the living room. “You tried to get Bonnie back and instead Kai is running rampant around here?” The teacher flinched at the accusatory tone. “Kai got out, but it`s not…”  
   
“Not your fault? You talked Jo into handing over the Ascendant. And now her crazy twin brother is going to kill her. Tell me how that is not your fault.” Elena interrupted him. “What do you care? It`s her problem, not yours.” Damon chimed in, stepping between them, his voice rising. Ric was surprised. Not really by the anger he could hear in Damon´s voice, but by the fact that the anger was directed at Elena. “Jo is my mentor. And my friend. She saved my life, Damon. She gave me back my life. You may not care about others, but I do.” the brunette shot back.  
   
Damon flinched like he`d been hit. That one had been a low blow. “I do care. That`s the problem. I did everything I could to save Bonnie, only to get shouted at by you and your stupid punk brother, because it didn´t work out. No matter what I do, I`m always the bad guy, right?” he snapped. “You don´t care about Bonnie. You tried to bring her back so I would be grateful and rethink the break-up.” Elena claimed. “You think too high of yourself.” Damon sneered, taking another step towards her, so he was now practically looming over her.  
   
“I`m glad to be rid of you silly little girl.” he said cruelly. Elena however didn’t back down. She only gave him a disgusted look. “Just look at you. So typical. You cover your feelings and get angry. You lash out, like you always do when something doesn’t work out like you want it to. And I`m just sick and tired of your little games. I`m sick and tired of having to make excuses for you. You will never change. And you know what? Breaking up with you was the best thing I could do! Being with you turned me into a different person. And I never liked that person.” she spat, before turning on her heel and storming out.  
   
Alaric stood frozen in shock for a moment. He hadn’t moved during the whole shouting match, partly out of shock, partly because he didn’t want to draw their attention on himself. Damon´s anger seemed to deflate with the slamming of the front door and he looked dejected again. He slumped down onto the couch and stared off into space. “Sorry about that.” he muttered, gesturing vaguely. Ric sat down next to him. “It`s okay. Maybe you two had to get that out of your system.”  
   
Maybe their break-up had gone a little too smoothly. Truth be told Ric had been waiting for a scene since the day at the hospital. “I really am glad about the break-up. We`re not good for each other. Never were. Half the time I want to strangle her.” Damon admitted. Ric chuckled, but the older vampire didn’t really find it amusing. He glanced at the clock and bit his lip. “Bonnie is still stuck there. She sacrificed everything for us over and over again and when we were supposed to be there for her... she`s all alone.” he whispered.  
   
Alaric knew that Damon and Bonnie had become friends over the four months of their imprisonment. He could only guess how much it must hurt his friend not to be able to help the witch. “We´ll try again." he tried to reassure Damon, but the dark-haired vampire just looked at him with haunted eyes. "How? The ascendant is destroyed." he reminded. "Then we`ll find another way. We won`t give up until we have her back.” Ric promised, squeezing Damon´s shoulder. The older vampire stared at him, pain written across his face. “Why are you helping me?” he asked. Ric shrugged. “You’re my friend.”  
   
“How can you even say that? You should hate me. Just like everybody else hates me. After everything I’ve done. After all I've done to you. How can you look past that? How can you forgive me? You’re the only one who`s always got my back. The only one who is always there for me, no matter how much I fuck things up. You´re the only one who never gave up on me. Even Stefan gave up. But you didn’t. Why?”   
   
Alaric didn’t think he`d ever heard Damon sound so honest. Or seen him so broken. The hurt he could see in those beautiful blue eyes made his heart ache and shattered the last of his weak defenses. Unable to hold back any longer he leaned in and captured Damon´s lips with his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is why I couldn't kill Elena (although I really wanted to). I needed her to be a total bitch and hurt poor Damon's feelings, so Ric could comfort him.


	16. Chapter 16

Damon gasped in surprise and Ric realized only now what he`d done. Cursing himself for his own stupidity he started to pull back, but suddenly the dark-haired vampire made a soft, sighing noise, grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Ric moaned against his lips and allowed Damon to take control. His mind was reeling and he was unable to form a coherent thought. He couldn’t recall how often he had dreamed or fantasized about kissing Damon. But the reality was so much better.  
   
The older vampire`s lips felt softer than he had imagined and still held a lingering taste of the bourbon he had drunk earlier. One of his hands was clutching the teacher`s shoulder, while the other one played with his hair. Ric`s arm slid around Damon`s waist, pulling him even closer. He never wanted to let go again.  
   
After what felt like an eternity and at the same time only a few seconds, Damon pulled away. For a moment they just stared at each other. The teacher felt light-headed and a little breathless. He racked his brain for something to say, but couldn’t find the right words. His eyes were automatically drawn to Damon´s slightly parted lips. He couldn’t tell who moved first, but suddenly they were kissing again. Deeper this time, tongues fighting for dominance, hands starting to roam.   
   
The dark-haired vampire pushed Ric back against the couch and straddled his lap. Ric groaned and wrapped his arms around Damon´s waist, pulling him in without thinking. He stiffened for a second when he realized that Damon could feel his erection, but then the older vampire pressed himself even closer and he realized that he wasn’t the only one affected by their actions. He relaxed back against the couch and allowed his hands to roam under Damon´s dark shirt, letting his fingers trail lightly over naked skin.  
   
Finally Damon pulled away again and rested his forehead against Ric`s shoulder. Both men were breathing hard. Alaric shuddered when the older vampire started pressing little kisses to his throat, moving slowly upwards, mouthing across his jaw, up to his ear. “Maybe we should move this to the bedroom.” he suggested. “Sounds like a plan.” Alaric agreed and sighed when Damon started tugging lightly at his earlobe.  
   
Damon got up reluctantly and waited for the teacher to do the same. They walked to Alaric`s bedroom side by side. For a second the older vampire wondered what the hell they were doing here. Where this was suddenly coming from. What it would mean for their friendship. But then Ric`s lips claimed his again while the teacher pushed him against the closed bedroom door and he abandoned all rational thought. It felt good. Hell, it felt incredible. That was all that mattered right now.  
   
He grabbed the teacher´s shirt and pulled it over his head in one quick movement, throwing it aside without a thought. Ric pulled him in for another kiss, even as his hands made quick work of the buttons on Damon´s shirt. The dark-haired vampire shrugged out of it and gasped when he was suddenly pushed down onto the bed. The teacher kicked off his shoes and crawled over him, dragging his tongue over Damon´s torso, before moving upwards for another kiss.  
   
Damon had always thought he`d experienced real passion with Katherine or maybe with Elena. But that was nothing compared to this. His skin tingled wherever Ric touched him and his whole body felt like it was on fire. Ric`s kisses were like a drug he doubted he`d ever get enough of. It was all too much. And not nearly enough.  
   
When Ric pulled back slightly, Damon used the chance to roll them over and pin the teacher down on the bed. He took in Ric`s disheveled appearance with a grin, noted the flushed cheeks, the slightly bruised lips and the way he was panting. Leaning down he started placing little kisses over Ric`s collarbone, moving slowly downwards. He raked his hands through the hair on Ric`s chest, so different from his own practically hairless torso.  
   
Moving further down he lightly bit a nipple, grinning at Ric`s surprised gasp, before soothing it with his tongue. The teacher was so damn responsive, arching into his touches, emitting little sounds of pleasure that spurred the older vampire on even further. When his hands finally reached the edge of Ric`s jeans he popped the button and dragged the zipper down without hesitation. Ric lifted his hips a little, so he could drag the jeans and underwear down over his legs and throw them into a corner. 

Feeling a little self-conscious at being the only one fully naked, Ric sat up slightly and reached for the button of Damon´s jeans. The dark-haired vampire helped him and together they pulled the tight garment off.   
   
The teacher reversed their positions again, taking his turn in exploring his lover`s body. He wondered if it was his vampiric nature or just the fact that it was Damon that made him feel everything all the more intense. He loved the feeling of the hard muscles beneath his fingertips, the taste of Damon´s skin, when he dragged his tongue down over strong abs. Moving upwards he found Damon´s lips again and complied when the dark-haired vampire tugged him down, so their bodies were fully touching.  
   
His hips started moving of their own volition, rubbing against Damon, their erections sliding against each other. Damon moaned and arched against him, seeking more friction. It took them only a moment to find the perfect rhythm. The dark-haired vampire dragged one hand down Ric`s back, his fingernails leaving red marks which faded as quickly as they appeared. Little tremors shook his body as the pleasure got nearly unbearable. They broke the kiss, both gasping for air and Damon tried in vain to hold back a moan. He was so close.  
   
Suddenly Alaric stiffened and pulled back a little, his rhythm faltering. Damon opened his eyes, wondering when he`d closed them in the first place and was startled to see the dark capillaries beneath the teacher`s now black eyes. Even more startling was the shot of arousal that went through him at the sight. “Do it.” he whispered without thinking, shocking himself almost as much as Ric. But he couldn’t deny that he wanted it. He arched up against the teacher, throwing his head back, baring his throat. “Just do it, Ric. Please.” The teacher`s hips picked up the rhythm again and he lowered his head to Damon`s neck, making him shudder.  
   
His lips moved over the soft skin, but still he hesitated. He couldn’t recall anymore how exactly it had come up, but he remembered Elena telling him that feeding from another vampire was very intimate. The thought alone sent a thrill through his whole body. He wanted it. More than anything. His gums were aching, dying to bite. But he`d never done this before. He was scared of hurting Damon. Of taking too much. But when Damon´s hand tangled in his hair, pushing him down insistently he finally lost the battle.   
   
Damon whimpered when Ric`s fangs finally pierced his neck. He could feel the pull throughout his whole body as Ric started swallowing his blood. Arching up against the teacher he actually felt his vision blurring, the pleasure just too intense. It was the last straw. With a sound somewhere between a moan and a shout he came harder than he had in years.   
   
Alaric groaned when the sweet, hot blood rushed into his mouth, the taste going straight to his head. He felt Damon stiffen and tremble in his arms, heard him cry out and felt the sticky wetness between their bodies. Reluctantly he tore his mouth away from the wound, afraid of taking too much. The heady taste of Damon`s blood and the knowledge that he had just made Damon come were enough to drive him over the edge as well.   
   
Panting he slumped down, his face buried in Damon´s neck. He could still smell the sweet blood, despite the fact that the wound had already healed. Mixed with the scent of sweat and arousal it made his head spin. Reluctantly he rolled over onto his back, trying to catch his breath. Next to him the dark-haired vampire was still panting as well. It took them a moment to come down.  
   
Finally realization settled in and Alaric glanced over at Damon hesitantly. He had no idea how to behave right now. How this would affect their friendship. Damon met his eyes with a lazy, contended smile. “Do you have to work today?” he asked after a while. Ric was puzzled at the question. “No, It´s Saturday.” he reminded. “Good.” the dark-haired vampire muttered, reaching down to tug the covers over both of them. Then he cuddled against Alaric, put his head on the teacher`s chest and closed his eyes. Ric was startled at the action, but he had to smile nonetheless. Relaxing back against the cushions he wrapped an arm around Damon and closed his eyes as well, slowly drifting off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversation is everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the next chapter finished sooner than I thought. You can thank the fact that I'm sick and therefore not at work for that. But it's a short chapter and I doubt you'll like it.   
> *Quickly ducks out of sight*

Alaric awoke slowly, for once feeling well-rested and completely comfortable in his own skin. For a second he was convinced that it had all been a dream. Until he felt the pressure on his chest. Looking down he spied Damon, still sleeping peacefully, half-draped over him. Ric looked at him in wonder. So it hadn’t been a dream after all. He had slept with his best friend. He wondered what it would mean for them and tried not to get his hopes up. Damon had been miserable. Maybe he had only wanted comfort, after the nasty scene with Elena and Ric had just been there. Didn`t have to mean anything.  
   
Watching Damon sleep he pondered his options. He could try to slip out of bed and postpone the inevitable awkward conversation they needed to have. But getting out of bed without waking the dark-haired vampire seemed pretty impossible, since Damon was using him as a pillow. He could fake sleep and wait for Damon to leave the bed. But faking sleep probably wouldn’t fool a vampire, so if Damon didn’t want to let him off the hook it wouldn’t work either.  
   
Which left only one option. Waiting for Damon to wake up and getting the inevitable confrontation out of the way. It was probably the best approach. They needed to talk about what had happened. And it would be best to get it over with quickly. Once again Ric`s eyes traveled over the sleeping vampire, taking in the long lashes, the high cheekbones and the soft lips. What if Damon wanted to write it off as a one-night-stand and forget about it? Could he really go back to just being friends, now that he knew how those sensuous lips felt against his own? They had crossed the line of friendship. There was no turning back, right?  
   
A soft sigh from Damon shook the teacher out of his thoughts. The dark-haired vampire opened his eyes and blinked up at him. For a moment he looked confused, but then Ric could see recognition dawn in his eyes. They just stared at each other, neither saying a word. “Morning.” Damon murmured finally, sitting up and stretching his muscles. The teacher sat up as well. He quickly tore his eyes away from the tantalizing image and caught sight of the alarm clock. “More like noon.” he commented, realizing that they had slept through the whole morning. He couldn’t remember the last time he had gotten more than maybe 4 hours of sleep. No wonder he felt well-rested.  
   
“Whatever.” came the immediate reply and Ric swore he could hear the eye-roll in that one word. He still didn’t dare to look up. He knew that they needed to talk, but he didn’t know where to start. Words failed him completely. “I need a shower.” Damon announced after what felt like an hour of them just sitting there in uncomfortable silence. “Yeah…” Ric murmured vaguely, acutely aware of the dried come coating his own stomach. They hadn’t even gotten cleaned up.  
   
He heard Damon sigh and then felt him get up off the bed. Only when he heard the shower start did he get up himself. He pulled on boxers and an old t-shirt, before padding to the kitchen, where he grabbed a blood bag. Strangely enough he didn’t feel all that hungry. Must be a first. Since coming back to life (or un-life or whatever) he was always hungry. But right now he actually felt slightly nauseous while one thought kept repeating in his head: What had he done?  
   
***

Damon was thinking pretty much the same thing. Standing under the spray of the shower he went over last night´s events in his head. He didn’t know what had gotten into them. Sure, they had always playfully flirted with each other and he liked to cuddle up against Ric when they were sitting together. But the kiss had been completely unexpected. Although maybe he shouldn`t be surprised. Maybe they had been heading this way for days. For years, really.  
   
But what did it mean? Ric hadn’t even been able to look at him earlier. He obviously regretted it. The dark-haired vampire tried to analyze his own feelings. Ric was his best friend. The only one who really got him. The one he could always turn to. He knew that Ric would never turn his back on him, no matter how much he fucked up. The teacher was way too understanding.   
   
No, he couldn’t regret it. It had felt good. More than good actually. Damon had slept with men before, had gone a lot further than they had last night, but it had always been just sex. With Ric it had been different. There was a level of trust with the teacher that Damon had never felt with anyone else. Not with Katherine, not with Elena. With Ric he could let go completely and didn't have to hide who he was.

He didn’t want to lose that trust. So if Ric regretted what had happened, Damon would just have to pretend that nothing had happened at all. He didn’t want to risk this friendship that meant so much to him.   
   
Showered and dressed he finally went into the kitchen, where he found Ric sitting at the table, drinking from a blood-bag. “Shower`s yours if you want it.” he commented lightly, grabbing a blood-bag for himself. The teacher startled, like he hadn’t heard him approaching. “Yeah, thanks.” he mumbled, getting up and depositing of the empty bag. He was about to leave the room, but turned back at the last moment. “Damon, about… last night…” he started, looking anywhere but at Damon. “I don't know what.. I mean..” he stammered. “Yeah, you know what? Let´s just forget about it.” the dark-haired vampire said quickly. Ric tensed, but nodded after a seconds hesitation. “Yeah, alright.” he agreed, finally leaving the room.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I managed to get a really long chapter done this time. And I'm already working on the next one. Not sure when that will be finished though, since I'm busy translating the sorta Christmas fic I wrote for one of my german readers, so I can post it on time.

“Okay, that`s it for today. See you next week.” Alaric said, watching his students file out. He was glad that lessons were finally over for the day, even though he dreaded going home. Things had been tense between him and Damon in the last few days. They had spent most of Saturday evening at a bar a few miles away, drinking and trying to keep up a conversation. When the awkward silences had gotten too much they had returned to the flat and headed straight to their separate beds.  
   
On Sunday Alaric had met up with Jeremy and spent long hours talking to the boy, while Damon was off with his brother. Jeremy had calmed down again, had seemed uncharacteristically reasonable and it had been a nice morning. After the teen had left Ric had buried himself in books, looking for a way to get rid of the anti-magic barrier. He`d known it would be futile from the start, but it was better than sitting around brooding.   
   
When he`d returned home in the evening Damon had been cooking for them. They`d managed dinner with relative ease, even slipping back into their usual, playful banter for a while. But afterwards when they had watched TV, Damon had cuddled against him. Ric had stiffened and the dark-haired vampire had moved to the other end of the couch without a word. In the end they had gone to bed early and the teacher had spent another night lying awake, staring at the ceiling.  
   
Over the last four days he had busied himself with work and research. When he hadn’t been teaching he had prepared his lessons for the next couple of weeks and caught up on completely unnecessary paperwork. Once he had met up with Caroline, who had turned down his offer to help her with her research. They had compared notes and gone their separate ways. He had also spent quite some time in the library, pondering over books Caroline had already looked through and returned home late.  
   
“Ric, have you seen Jo?” Elena`s voice startled him out of his musings. He hadn’t even noticed that the brunette had lingered in the classroom. “No, not for a few days. Why?” he wanted to know. The brunette looked troubled. “She was supposed to meet me for coffee this morning, but she didn’t show up. And she´s not answering her phone.” The teacher shrugged. “She`s probably busy at the hospital.” he mused. Elena nodded, but still looked concerned. “You’re probably right. See you later.” she excused herself. Alaric watched her go with an uneasy feeling. But he shook it off and gathered his things.  
   
It was only early afternoon, but he felt tired after yet another sleepless night, so after staring at the pages of a book for a few minutes, without really seeing anything, he decided to head straight home. He was surprised to find Damon in the kitchen, unloading grocery bags. “Hey, you’re early.” the dark-haired vampire commented. “Yeah, decided to skip the paperwork today.” Ric replied, leaning against the counter to watch his friend. He missed their easy interactions. Lately everything was so damn complicated. He just wanted things to go back to normal.  
   
Both vampires jumped slightly when someone hammered against the door. “Are you expecting someone?” Ric asked, but Damon just shook his head. The teacher opened the door and Elena brushed past him. “I was at the hospital. No one's seen Jo since last night at the ER. A bunch of stab victims came in and one of them is missing as well.” she told the two men. “You think Kai has her.” the teacher assumed. “Of course he does. It`s not like her to disappear without a word. We need to help her. We need a plan.” the brunette implored.  
   
“Well, that`s easy. Find Kai, kill Kai.” Damon decided. “Sounds like a good plan, but how are we going to find him?” Ric wanted to know. “We could ask Liv or Luke to do a locator spell.” Elena suggested. The dark-haired vampire nodded. “Probably our best shot. Okay, Ric and I are going to talk to the witchy-twins. You could call your brother and ask him to take a look around Mystic Falls. If Kai has half a brain, he will be hiding where vampires can't find him.” he mused.   
   
“He will force her to merge with him, right?” Elena whispered. “He can’t. Jo needs her magic for the merge to work.” Ric pointed out. “Exactly. And her magic is stuffed in a knife that was stolen and hidden by yours truly. Kai won't find it.” Damon assured. Ric was surprised to hear that. He hadn’t noticed that Damon had taken the knife with him. “What if he does a locator spell?” the brunette asked. “Kai was born without the ability to do magic.” the dark-haired vampire let her know. “And even if he gets someone else to do it, it won`t be a problem. It`ll actually save us the hassle of looking for him.”  
   
“You hid the knife here.” Alaric assumed. Damon only grinned and took a picture from the wall. The grin disappeared however when he opened the back and found it empty. “Guess he already found it.” he muttered. Elena looked like she wanted to strangle him. “I’ll call Jeremy and enlist Matt`s help. And you talk to the witches. Hurry. We need to find Jo.” she ordered, before heading out.  
   
Damon looked at Ric. “Let`s find the witches then.” They drove to Whitmore Campus and tried Liv`s dorm room first, but there was no-one there. “Maybe she`s with Tyler.” the teacher mused. “Yeah, maybe. You try Tyler`s room, I’ll try the other twin.” the dark-haired vampire decided. They split up and went in opposite directions. Damon wasn’t really surprised to find Luke`s room empty as well. He pulled out his phone and called Tyler, but the former hybrid wasn’t helpful. “I'm trying to keep my girlfriend alive. Sound familiar?” he snapped, before hanging up.  
   
Damon put his phone away and looked up just in time to see Luke rounding the corner. The blond noticed him and started in the opposite direction, only to find his way blocked by Alaric. “Where`s Jo?” the teacher wanted to know. Luke shook his head and kept his mouth shut. “I get why you don't want to merge with Liv, okay? Because no one wants to see that face with her hair. But what makes you think Kai merging with Jo is any smarter? He killed 4 of your siblings, right? And that was without magic. But hey, I'm sure when Kai gets all that power he's just gonna mellow right on out.” Damon muttered.  
   
He gestured to Ric and they started walking away. Neither vampire was surprised when Luke called after them. “They`re at the cemetery. Please, just make sure Liv doesn´t get hurt.” he pleaded. “We`ll do what we can.” Ric promised, following Damon back to the car. The drive to the cemetery passed in relative silence. “You got a plan?” The teacher asked after a while. “Aside from kill Kai? Not really. We`ll make it up as we go.” Damon decided. Planning too far ahead had never gotten them anywhere.  
   
Once they reached the cemetery they got out of the car and looked around. Damon pointed at the crypt, from where he could hear low voices. Ric nodded. “You go around the back. I’ll lure him out.” the dark-haired vampire whispered. Again the teacher nodded and quietly crept around behind the crypt. Damon hid behind a tree and whistled. Like predicted it only took Kai a few seconds to show his ugly face. The vampire left his hiding place and shoved him, but Kai retaliated with a spell that had Damon stumbling backwards, right over the border.  
   
He let out a cry of pain when the sunlight started burning him and quickly stepped back to safety. “Whoops. Looks like you found the anti-magic border. Drew a line in the dirt for everyone's convenience.” Kai said with a manic grin, pointing at a line in the dirt. Still grinning he jumped over the line. “See? Inside the border.” He jumped back. “Outside the border. Fun, isn`t it?” Again he jumped over the line, muttering: “Inside the border.” He was so focused on mocking Damon that he didn’t notice Ric creeping up at him from behind. When he jumped over the line again, the teacher grabbed him in a headlock.  
   
Kai started muttering a spell, but a well-placed arm over his windpipe cut off his air supply and shut him up before he could do any damage. “Thank you. Kill him.” Damon ordered, but before the teacher could comply Jo came running out of the crypt. “Alaric, don't! If Kai dies, Liv and Luke have to do the merge. It's not fair to them.” she shouted. Ric hesitated, looking from Jo to Damon. “Who cares? Kill him.” the dark-haired vampire repeated.   
   
But Jo didn’t back down. “No, don´t. I can win. I can beat Kai. I just need a little time to get stronger. Please, Alaric. I trusted you. Now you have to trust me. Keep him alive.” she pleaded. The teacher looked torn, but finally he complied with a sigh and let the now unconscious Kai slip to the ground. Damon groaned in frustration. “What are you doing? We should just kill him.” he grumbled. “No. He`s my brother and my problem. I’ve got my magic back. I’ll do the merge. We just need to lock him up for a while, until I`m stronger.” Jo insisted.  
   
Alaric turned to look at Damon. “It`s her choice. We`re not killing him.” The dark-haired vampire huffed in annoyance. He had half a mind to just rush over and snap Kai`s neck, but he knew Ric would get really mad if he did. “Alright, we`ll keep him alive. But don´t come to me to complain when this goes all to hell.” he muttered darkly. The stupid witch-doctor actually smiled. “We need to tie him up. Liv, bring me those chains from the crypt.”  
   
Damon hadn’t even noticed the blonde witch until now. He watched with detached curiosity how she fetched the chains, before helping her sister drag Kai over the border and chain him to one of the headstones. “Can you two watch him for a while? I’ll run to the hospital to get a sedative.” Jo asked the two vampires. “Watching him would be easier if he was on this side of the border. We can’t really do anything while he`s over there.” Damon pointed out.  
   
“He took some of Liv`s magic and also some of mine. While he´s inside the anti-magic border he can’t use it against you. And he can’t break out of those chains.” Jo argued. “She´s got a point there.” Ric had to admit. The dark-haired vampire muttered: “Whatever.” and sat down to watch Kai. Liv hugged her sister goodbye, before heading back towards Mystic Falls. Ric pulled out his car-keys and handed them to Jo. “Here, take my car. And hurry up. Although you should probably get those wounds checked first.” The smell of her blood was making his mouth water and now that they weren’t in immediate danger anymore it was hard to keep his hunger in check.  
   
Jo seemed to sense his trouble, because she took the keys and thanked him quietly, before heading for his car. Ric turned his back on her and stared at Damon, breathing deeply, willing the hunger to subside. It worked, but he was still relieved to hear the sound of his car driving off. Walking towards Damon he finally noticed that the dark-haired vampire had started throwing rocks against the headstone Kai was chained to. The warlock had woken up again, but didn’t seem concerned. He kept talking like nothing was amiss, asking about the anti-magic spell. “How's this? I kill you and when you're in hell, you can ask a bar full of dead travelers, who cast the damn spell.” Damon offered.  
   
“What the hell are you doing? We`re keeping him alive, Damon.” the teacher insisted. Damon got up and looked at him with a pained expression. “Bonnie's stuck over there because of him. She's over there and I'm over here. And I hate myself for it.” Ric took another step towards him and grabbed his shoulder without thinking, giving it a gentle squeeze. “But killing him won`t bring her back. Bonnie wouldn't want you to snap.” he pointed out. The dark-haired vampire slumped. “I know.” he whispered in a defeated voice.  
   
Ric hated seeing him so down. It made him reach out without thinking, awkwardness be damned. He drew Damon against himself and wrapped his arms around him. “We`ll get her back. I know we will.” Damon returned the hug and hid his face against the teacher`s shoulder. For a few seconds they stood motionless. Then the older vampire pulled back slightly and their eyes met. Ric felt his breath catch in his throat and had to fight the overwhelming urge to kiss his friend.  
   
Then the ringing of Damon´s phone destroyed the moment and made them jump apart. The dark-haired vampire answered the phone and Ric wondered when the wind had picked up. The gentle breeze was slowly turning into a full-blown storm. Damon shouted at his phone, telling Elena on the other line that he couldn’t hear her. All Ric could hear over the roaring wind was static crackling. The dark-haired vampire shoved the phone back into his pocket. “I lost the connection. What the hell is going on?”  
   
The wind was getting even stronger, pulling at their clothes and whipping their hair around. Alaric looked about himself in unease. This didn’t feel natural. Next to him Damon was walking towards Kai. “He stopped talking. He never stops talking.” he noticed. But that wasn’t quite right. Kai was muttering. “Wait, is he … chanting?” Ric asked, just as Damon wondered where the chains binding Kai had gone. The two vampires watched in shock as Kai got up and turned to face them with a grin. Understanding dawned on Damon.   
   
“He sucked up all the magic from the traveler spell.” Alaric took a step towards Kai, but the warlock made a strange gesture with his hands and the teacher was slammed hard against a nearby tree. When Damon tried to attack the warlock he suddenly disappeared into thin air. “I really, really hate that move!” the dark-haired vampire spat. A groan from Ric made him look over at his friend. The teacher was just getting up again. A large branch had broken off the tree and was stuck in Ric`s stomach.  
   
The sight made Damon´s heart skip a beat. He quickly rushed over and pulled the branch out. “Shit! Are you okay?” he asked a little frantically, pulling up Ric`s shirt, fingers skimming over the already closing wound. Ric nodded. “Yeah, I think so.” He batted Damon´s hands away, noting that the wound had completely disappeared. But it still hurt like a bitch. Leaning against the tree he noticed something else that made his blood run cold.  
   
“How come we`re not dead?” When Damon just looked at him questioningly he pointed at the line Kai had drawn in the dirt. They were both clearly on the wrong side of the border. “Nothing`s happening. The spell is gone.” the dark-haired vampire whispered in wonder. “Kai must`ve drained away all the magic, lifting the spell as a side-effect.” the teacher mused. Slowly a grin spread over Damon´s features. “Who knew the little magic-sucker could actually be useful?”  
   
“But he`s also on the lose right now. And armed with a lot of magic.” Ric reminded him. The older vampire just shrugged. “Okay, so Kai's supercharged and on the prowl. There’s really nothing we can do about it right now. More importantly, this stupid spell is finally lifted. Which means I can actually go home. Don´t you think we deserve a break?” he almost whined. “But we need to warn Jo and…” the teacher argued, but Damon interrupted him. “Fine. Warn her. And then come home with me. I'll cook you dinner and we can have a real drink.” With a sigh Alaric complied. “Dinner sounds good. Drinks sound even better.” They would have to face Kai sooner or later, but Damon was right. They deserved a break.   
   
***  
   
Walking side by side Damon sent a text to all of their friends, letting them know that the anti-magic barrier was gone and that Kai was on the lose, while Alaric called Jo. The witch was disturbed by the news, but reasoned that Kai had to wait for the next celestial event to merge with her, which should give them about a month. Liv had already agreed to help her with her magic. Now they only needed somewhere to practice. Jo`s apartment was out of the question, because of the neighbors and Liv`s dorm room was too small.   
   
Ric shot Damon a questioning look. With a resigned sigh the dark-haired vampire nodded. “Fine, they can use the boarding house. As long as they don’t destroy anything and clean up after themselves.” he offered. The teacher relayed the message and Jo agreed to come over tomorrow morning to start her witch-training.  
   
Most pressing matters taken care of, they enjoyed the rest of the walk in silence. It felt good to be back in Mystic Falls. “Home sweet home.” Damon commented when they finally entered the boarding house. He left Ric in the library and took a quick tour around the house, to make sure that everything was still intact and where it belonged. Jeremy had done quite some damage to his liquor cabinet, but aside from that everything seemed okay.  
   
“Lucky for us, no-one emptied the downstairs-freezer.” he said upon returning to the library, handing Ric a blood-bag. The teacher thanked him and drank the blood slowly. He felt a lot better afterwards and the lingering ache from his stomach-wound finally faded. “Okay, let´s see what I can find for dinner.” Damon decided and was about to head into the kitchen when the rumble of an engine outside made him pause. “That's not possible.” he whispered, quickly walking to the front door.  
   
Alaric followed him curiously. The teacher was just as surprised as Damon to see Stefan driving up in Damon´s blue Camaro. “This was gone. I blew it up.” Damon muttered in disbelieve. Stefan got out with a grin and said something about having had some extra time on his hands, while his brother hadn't been there to annoy him. Ric watched with a smile as the two brothers hugged. Damon´s eyes were sparkling and he looked a lot like a child on Christmas morning.   
   
“Are you sticking around?” he finally asked his brother. “I think so. Though I might have to kill Jeremy if I find out that he slept in my bed.” the younger Salvatore joked. “Don´t let me stop you. But I was just about to make dinner for Ric and me. You wanna join us?” the older one offered. Stefan agreed, but first went upstairs to get a look at his room.   
   
Ric joined Damon in the kitchen and helped him cut some vegetables. The older Salvatore was in a good mood, the smile never leaving his face and they joked back and forth like nothing had happened. They teacher hoped it would stay that way, but he was afraid the awkwardness might return sooner or later. He assumed that right now they were doing their best to behave normal, mostly because Stefan was here.   
   
Still, dinner was nice. They talked and swapped stories and shared a bottle of wine between the three of them. After dessert Damon asked about Caroline. Stefan tried to change the subject, but only ended up getting Damon and Ric to make fun of him. In the end he decided to go back to his room and leave the cleaning up to the others. The dark-haired vampire continued joking about his brother, while Ric helped him with the dishes.  
   
When all was cleaned up they returned to the library, where they settled onto their favorite couch with glasses of bourbon. Silence descended upon them, but at least it wasn’t the awkward silence of the last few days. Damon watched Alaric thoughtfully. It felt good to be here with him. And it had been a nice evening, without too much awkwardness. The whole day hadn’t been too awkward, but then again they hadn´t been alone much and the whole thing with Kai had kept them quite busy.   
   
The last few days however had been pure torture. He didn’t know how much longer he`d be able to endure the long silences, the weird moments and strange looks. He had really tried to act like nothing had happened, but it was apparently not working. They had crossed the line of friendship and there really was no going back now. And if you can’t go back, the only thing you can do is go forward, right?  
   
“You know, somehow it feels strange to be back here.” Alaric muttered after a while, putting his glass onto the table and leaning back against the couch. The older vampire took a deep breath and decided to just take a chance. It could hardly become worse, he reasoned. He put his glass next to Ric`s and without pausing to think about it moved to straddle the teacher´s lap. Ric looked at him in shock, but Damon didn´t give him a chance to talk. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ric`s, sighing in relief when the younger vampire returned the kiss.  
   
After just a few seconds Damon pulled back to look at Ric. “Yeah, strange. But this didn’t feel strange at all.” he finally whispered in reply to Ric´s comment. He could see the emotions flitting over the teacher`s face – uncertainty, fear, longing. “No, feels kinda right.” Ric agreed eventually. “Feels totally right.” Damon muttered, leaning in for another kiss. When their lips parted again, he started pressing little kisses to the teacher`s jaw. “Stay with me tonight.” he asked softly. “Always.” was the immediate reply. Damon smiled and forced himself to stand up. “Time to move this upstairs, I think.” Alaric took his offered hand and allowed the older vampire to lead him to his bedroom.  
   
***  
   
In another part of the town Caroline was just getting out of her car, while talking to her mother on the phone. “Yeah, the anti-magic spell is really gone. I’ll come home tomorrow morning. We can have breakfast together.” she promised. “I can’t wait to see you, honey. Goodnight.” Liz replied, before hanging up. Caroline smiled to herself. Her mom would be so surprised when she showed up on the doorstep now instead of tomorrow morning.  
   
Grinning she knocked on the door and waited. After a few minutes the sheriff opened the door and Caroline yelled: “Surprise!” But instead of laughing in delight and pulling her in for a hug, like she had expected, her mother only looked puzzled. “Hello. Anybody there?” she called, looking straight past her daughter. “Very funny, mom. Let me in.” the blonde vampire asked. She was shocked when her mom muttered something about stupid kids and shut the door in her face. “Mom? What…?”  
   
“I may have put a cloaking spell on us. She can’t see or hear you.” someone said from behind her. Caroline whirled around and came face to face with a dark-haired guy she had never seen before. “Who the hell are you?” she asked with a sneer. “Oh right, we haven`t met. But I`m sure you`ve heard of me. I`m Kai.” the guy introduced himself. Caroline automatically took a step back. “So you have heard of me.” Kai murmured with a grin. “What do you want?” the vampire asked.  
   
“Well, let`s just say I need a guinea pig. And since you’re the first vampire I’ve come across since entering Mystic Falls, you’re perfect for the job.” His joking words made Caroline`s anger rise. “I`m no-one`s guinea pig.” she spat, getting ready to attack. But before she could even take one step he had knocked her backwards with magic. The blonde hit her head hard on the wall and lost consciousness, her phone clattering to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was that too soon? I figured they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other for long.
> 
> A Little Spoiler for the next part: Someone has a very ummh... interesting morning.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stefan has a very ummh.. interesting morning.

Sunlight was streaming through the window when Damon woke up. The first thing he noticed was that he was in his own bed. And he wasn’t alone. There was a body pressed against him from behind, a strong arm wrapped around his waist, just above the blankets. Smiling he relaxed into the embrace and thought back to last night. He really hoped there would be no awkwardness this time. They hadn’t really talked about what this meant last night. Had been too busy ridding each other of their clothes, as soon as they had entered his bedroom.   
   
He remembered the kisses, the touches, the moment when Ric had finally entered him. This time the teacher hadn’t needed any encouragement to let his vampire side take over. The bite had come as a surprise for Damon, but pleasantly so. And Ric had even allowed Damon to retaliate and bite him as well when they`d gotten up to round two.  
   
Just thinking about their night of passion made Damon`s cock harden and he had to fight the urge to reach down beneath the covers and touch himself. Alaric shifting behind him distracted him from his thoughts. The teacher yawned and removed his arm, putting a little space between them. Damon felt his stomach drop. He wasn’t going to be ashamed again, was he? Biting his lip the dark-haired vampire muttered a hesitant good morning.   
   
“Morning.” Alaric whispered back, pressing a kiss to Damon´s naked shoulder. His hand slid over the older vampire`s side, under the covers, coming to rest on his hip and Damon sighed in relief. He rolled onto his back and looked up at Ric, who had propped himself up on one elbow. He could see no regret in the teacher`s eyes. No shame. “Come here.” the dark-haired vampire whispered, tugging Ric down for a kiss. The teacher`s hand slipped from his hip and brushed against Damon´s erection, coaxing a moan from him. “Feels like you’re happy to see me.” Ric commented with a smirk.  
   
“Very happy.” Damon agreed. He bit back another moan when Ric started kissing and nipping at his throat, moving slowly downwards. Tangling a hand in Ric`s hair he closed his eyes and just enjoyed the ministrations of his friend. It felt like Ric knew instinctively where and how to touch him. A tingling feeling spread through his whole body and made him shiver. If only the teacher would finally speed things up. But right now he seemed content to place little kisses all over his abs. Damon opened his mouth to complain, when suddenly the door opened and Stefan barged in.  
   
“Hey Damon, are you still in… bed? Oh!” The younger Salvatore froze in his tracks and stared at his brother and the teacher open-mouthed. Damon bit back a frustrated groan. Way to kill the mood. A glance at Ric, who had quickly moved away a bit, showed that the teacher was blushing furiously, staring at the floor. Well, at least they were still partially covered by the blanket. Could be worse. “Sorry, I … I didn’t mean to.. I didn’t know you…” Stefan stammered, still staring at them like he would at a train wreck.   
   
“Something you wanted, Stefan?” Damon asked, shifting slightly so he was in front of Ric. “No! … I mean, yes. I mean… I just wanted to see if you’re awake, yet. And ... never mind. Just… pretend I wasn´t here.” Finally tearing his eyes away, Stefan quickly left the room again. Damon flopped back down with a sigh. “Remind me to lock the door next time.” Alaric was staring at the door like he expected the younger Salvatore to come back with a camera.   
   
“You okay?” the dark-haired vampire asked, a little scared Ric might freak out on him any minute. The teacher blinked and looked at him. “Yeah, it`s just… That was awkward. Right? Guess it`ll be even more awkward when we have to face him later.” he murmured. “Probably. But he`ll get over it.” Damon assured. Truth be told, he felt a little out of depth as well. He hadn’t planned on telling anyone about him and Ric, yet. Not while he himself didn’t even know for sure what was going on between them.   
   
After about a minute of awkward silence he sighed and pushed himself into a sitting position. “I guess that kinda ruined the mood. Maybe we should just get up and take a shower.” Ric gave him a calculating look and only seconds later Damon found himself flat on his back again, with the teacher smirking down on him. “Or we could try to get back into the mood. I doubt your brother will come back any time soon.” Damon grinned and pulled him down for a kiss.  
   
***  
   
Meanwhile Stefan had returned to his own room, his cheeks still blazing. He slumped down onto his bed and stared at the ground. Caroline had been right. He couldn’t believe it. His brother and Ric were really… well, whatever. He had no idea what exactly they were. And he couldn’t help but wonder how long this had been going on. Whatever this actually was. Had they been doing… that, before Ric died? Why had he never noticed anything?  
   
Noises from downstairs finally made him look up again. He walked to the door and peeked his head out into the hallway. Whatever was going on downstairs, it weren’t Damon and Alaric making the noise. He could hear moans coming from Damon´s bedroom, making him blush anew. Why had he never known that his brother liked men?  
   
Unwilling to ponder this question any longer, he left his room and padded down the stairs. In the kitchen he found Jeremy, shirtless, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. “Great. Because that's the first thing I want to see in the morning.” he muttered darkly. Well, technically the second thing, but he really didn’t want to think about that right now. Jeremy shrugged, told him he`d forgotten Stefan still lived here and left the kitchen.  
   
The younger Salvatore shook his head an reached for the coffee pot, finding it almost empty. This morning was just getting better and better. He should probably be glad that Jeremy was alone at least. Right now he wouldn’t have been surprised if Matt had been hiding naked somewhere around here as well. With a soft sigh he brewed fresh coffee and slumped down into a chair.  
   
He felt slightly better after he had emptied his first mug of coffee, but then he heard noises coming from the living room. Not sure he really wanted to know what was going on, he went to investigate anyway. He reasoned that if he caught Jeremy having sex with someone he would just have to poke his eyes out. Luckily it wasn’t Jeremy making the noise this time. Instead the vampire came face to face with Liv in the hallway. She looked pretty pissed off and her clothes were… smoking.  
   
“Hey, where can I get a shirt?” she asked when she spied Stefan. He just stared at her for a moment, wondering if maybe he was still asleep. Maybe Damon had decided to play a prank on him and invaded his dreams. If so, he would have to kick his ass. This wasn’t funny at all. "Hello, earth to Stefan. I need a shirt.” the witch repeated. “Um… Damon's room. Upstairs, end of the hall.” he muttered, looking after her. Only after she had disappeared from sight did he remember that his brother and Ric were probably still busy. And Liv would walk in on them. Oh shit!  
   
With baited breath he waited for a shriek or really any kind of commotion from upstairs, but none came. Shrugging it off he went into the living room, where Jo was trying to clean up, while Luke was watching her skeptically. “What are you doing in my house?” he asked, now completely puzzled. “Fire spell. Sort of. Getting back in touch with your magic isn't that easy, you know.” the witch replied. “I don’t think that´s what I meant.” he mumbled. “Liv has her on a 30-day regimen between now and the next celestial event. So she can win the merge with Kai.” replied Luke.  
   
“And this regimen has to happen in my living room...why?” the vampire wanted to know. “Damon offered. After some persuasion from Alaric, I think.” Jo explained. Stefan really didn’t want to think about Alaric persuading his brother. Not at all. He was almost glad when Liv re-entered the living room, wearing one of Damon´s shirts. He wasn’t so glad to find his brother and Alaric following her.   
   
“When I agreed to let you practice magic in my house I didn’t know it would include you raiding my wardrobe.” the dark-haired vampire complained. “One would think you could be happier about finding a half-naked girl in your bedroom.” Liv shot back. “And do I really want to know what you two were doing in the bathroom together?” Ric blushed at the question, while Damon looked mostly annoyed. “None of your business.” he snapped. Stefan noticed the sad look Jo was giving Alaric and wondered how much she knew. She didn’t look surprised.   
   
He was just musing that this morning really couldn’t get much worse, when Damon´s phone rang, shattering the sudden silence that had descended upon the group. “Magic camp. How may I help you?” the older Salvatore joked and Stefan turned away, not wanting to listen in on the conversation. “No, haven`t seen her. Wait, I’ll ask the others.” Damon muttered after a while. “Has anyone of you talked to vampire Barbie today?” he asked around.  
   
They all shook their heads and Stefan felt his stomach drop. “Why, what happened?” he asked, but his brother was already talking again. “Sorry, sheriff. No-one`s heard from her. But don´t worry, we`ll find her.” he assured. Stefan could hear Liz talking on the other line, but didn’t really hear the words. Fear had gripped him upon realizing that Caroline might be in trouble.   
   
Damon finally hung up and turned to the others. “Blondie was supposed to meet her mother for breakfast, but she didn’t show up. Liz found her phone on the doorstep. And… it looks like the manager of the Grill died a pretty nasty death last night. Donovan found him earlier.” Stefan found it hard to breathe. “We need to find her.” he whispered. “Can you do a locator spell? Great witchy practice.” Damon asked Jo. The witch looked uncertain. “I guess… But I’ll need a personal item.”   
   
“We could ask Elena to bring us something from their dorm room.” Alaric suggested. “Good plan. Call her.” Damon ordered, handing his phone to the teacher. Stefan was surprised that Damon didn´t call her himself. Bound to be a story there, but he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to know. His frown deepened when Elena didn’t pick up and the older Salvatore mumbled darkly: “Guess she saw the caller ID.” He would need to ask his brother about that. Later, when Caroline was safe.  
   
And damn, they were wasting time, standing around and discussing plans. “Let`s just drive over to her mom`s house. I`m sure she still has a lot of stuff there. And the witches could do the locator spell right there. We would be quicker.” he reasoned, fidgeting restlessly. Before anyone could reply however, the front door burst open and Enzo barged into the house. “I need a witch.” he called, coming to a stop in front of the group. “Guess I came to the right house.” he muttered, upon seeing Liv, Luke and Jo.  
   
“Whatever it is, forget it. We don’t have time for your little games, Enzo. Caroline is in danger.” Stefan snapped. “Yes, I know. That`s why I`m here. That wacko witch-guy is holding her captive in the high school. She managed to call me, but he must´ve gotten her again.” Enzo snapped back, sending chills down Stefan´s spine. Some small part of his conscious reacted jealous that she had called Enzo and not him, but he quickly shook the thought off. They had to save her. That was all that mattered. And he had no reason to be jealous, after having ditched her calls for months.  
   
“I figured I need a witch to free her. And since the dorm was deserted I thought I might find one here.” Enzo continued. “We can’t go up against Kai. He`s too strong.” Luke protested. “You Geminis are big on cloaking spells, right? If you could cloak one of us, he could sneak into the school and get Caroline out.” Alaric suggested. “Sounds like a plan.” Damon agreed, giving Liv a pointed look. The blonde witch rolled her eyes in annoyance. “To think almost a day went by where I wasn't roped into saving one of your friends…”  
   
“Just do the damn spell so I can go in there.” Enzo ordered. Liv sighed. “Fine. I’ll just grab some candles. But I`m not entering the school. I`m staying as far away from Kai as possible.” she pointed out. Luke looked at her like she`d gone mad. “You’re not seriously going to do this? Kai will kill you.” he told his sister. “She said she`d stay away from him. And now shut up and let her do this!” Enzo snapped.  
   
Which only served to anger the young warlock. “You shut up and stop bossing us around.” he ordered. “Luke, I can talk for myself. And I will do this. I will help them.” Liv argued. For a second Luke looked ready to give in. But then he shook his head. “I`m sorry, but I can’t allow that.” he made a strange gesture with his hands and mumbled something and Liv vanished. “What the hell?” Enzo muttered. “Sorry, but Liv can’t help you this time.” All of them stared at Luke, who shot them an apologetic look and disappeared as well.  
   
“Looks like we need a plan B.” Damon commented dryly. “I can do it.” Jo offered. Stefan shot her a skeptical look. From what he`d seen earlier he seriously doubted she would be able to help. “Like Ric said we Geminis are big on cloaking spells. It`s one of the first things we get taught. I learned it when I was a kid.” she insisted, but had to admit that she could only use the spell on one person and would have to stay within reach the whole time. “There has to be another option.” Alaric spoke up, clearly not believing in her abilities either.  
   
The witch pursed her lips in anger. “I can do this, Alaric. I`m strong enough.” she insisted. “Alright. I’ll take that chance. Let`s go.” Enzo agreed. But Stefan rounded on him. “Wait, who said you were going in there? I went to High School there. I know my way around, which means I`m going.” The dark-haired vampire didn’t seem impressed. “You want to play the hero, huh? I don’t think so. I`m going. She called me.” Enzo reminded. “No way. I’ll go.” Stefan argued. Alaric rolled his eyes. They were behaving like two little kids fighting over a toy. “You can’t do this alone. You’re going to need help.” he intervened, only to have Enzo glaring at him now. “I didn’t ask for your opinion, teacher.”  
   
Ric couldn’t hold back the growl that escaped his throat. Who did this guy think he was? They had experience with this kind of thing, considering how often they`d had to save Elena. When he tried to take a step towards Enzo he found himself blocked by Damon, who had moved in front of him. “Ric is right. You came here for help, didn’t you? Kai sucked up all the magic of the traveler spell. You can´t face him on your own. You´re going to need all the advantage you can get. And our best advantage is strength in numbers.” the older Salvatore argued.  
   
Finally Enzo gave in reluctantly. “Fine. What`s your plan?” he asked. “You and Jo go in and grab Blondie. The rest of us tries to sneak up on Kai and take him out.” Damon decided. “No one is killing Kai! I need him alive.” Jo snapped. “Okay, you´ve got a better idea?” the older Salvatore wanted to know. She hesitated for a moment, before nodding. “You could sedate him. I packed a couple of syringes, just in case.” Damon looked at Ric, who shrugged in response. “Fine, we`ll knock him out then.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year everyone!

Caroline was lying on the floor, her wrists bound by vervain soaked ropes. She shifted restlessly, trying to ignore the pain each movement caused her as the ropes cut deeper into her skin. Trying to ignore Kai grinning at her. She should probably be glad that he had put her down in the dark hallway and not somewhere the sun could get to her. She had to bite back tears when she thought of the fact that he had destroyed her daylight ring. But then again, she probably wouldn´t need the ring anymore. There was no way she was getting out of this alive. He would kill her.  
   
She breathed a little sigh of relief when Kai suddenly got up and left. Not ready to give up yet she started struggling against her bonds, but only ended up tightening them even more. Biting her lip to keep from crying out in pain she was surprised when the ropes suddenly loosened and fell away. “Hang on, gorgeous. I`m here.” a familiar voice whispered close to her ear. Then a hand closed around hers and she looked up into a pair of beautiful brown eyes. “Enzo. How are you here right now?”  
   
“Invisibility spell. If you can see us, that means you joined the party.” he explained. Caroline looked up to see Jo standing next to them. The witch urged them to get a move on. She looked kind of sick. Enzo helped the blonde to her feet, but she stopped him. “My ring is gone. Kai melted it into nothing.” The dark-haired vampire cursed under his breath. “We need to get out of here.” Jo insisted. “There are the old tunnels under the school.” Caroline remembered. “Show us the way, darling.” Enzo agreed.  
   
Caroline led them out of the room and down the hallway towards the boiler room. She stopped when she heard Jo coughing. The witch looked weak. She swayed on the spot and her nose was bleeding. “Oh my god, you’re bleeding.” the blonde gasped. “I`m sorry. I`m not strong enough.” the witch apologized, before collapsing into Enzo`s arms. “Magic's hard. Isn't it, Jo?” Kai mocked, appearing in front of them.  
   
Before they could reply Stefan came speeding around the corner. “Get them out of here.” he shouted at Enzo, before lounging at Kai. But the warlock disappeared before he even came close. Enzo was still supporting Jo when Caroline disappeared as well. “What the fuck? Where is she?” the dark-haired vampire screamed in a rage. A whistle made him turn around. Kai was grinning at him. “Are we not cloaking people anymore? I thought that's what this was.” he mocked.  
   
Enzo gave Jo a little shove towards the door. “Get out of here.” She stumbled through the door without looking back. Stefan lunged at Kai again, but once again the warlock disappeared and reappeared a few meters away. This time however Enzo was prepared. He broke the handle of a mop and threw it at the warlock, spearing him through the abdomen. To his utter horror, Kai appeared next to the impaled version of himself. “I am definitely getting the hang of this. Cloaking spells, illusions.” he muttered, waving his hand and the injured Kai turned into Caroline.  
   
The blonde gasped and sank to her knees, the mop-handle protruding from her chest. Enzo tried to get to her, but Kai used his magic to give him an aneurysm and he collapsed in pain, while Stefan was sent flying across the hall and smashed hard into a row of lockers. With a grin Kai ran after his sister. Stefan got to his feet again and saw that Enzo had gotten up as well. The guy was tough, he had to give him that. “Take care of Caroline.” he ordered, before running after Kai.  
   
Enzo stumbled over to the blonde and dropped to the floor next to her. “Hold still.” he whispered, pulling the stake out of her chest, making sure there were no splinters left. Caroline whimpered in pain and collapsed against his chest. He stroked her hair tenderly. “Are you okay?” She nodded slowly. “Thanks for coming to get me.” she whispered, biting back a sob. Enzo pressed a kiss to her temple. “Anytime, gorgeous.” Caroline looked up at him and was about to say something when Stefan returned. Enzo bit back a curse. The guy had some timing.  
   
“Damon and Ric managed to knock Kai out. Jo isn´t badly hurt. They`re on their way back to the boarding house.” he let them know, before crouching down next to them, looking directly at Caroline. “Care, are you okay?” The blonde nodded and smiled slightly. “I`m fine.” Stefan breathed an audible sigh of relief. “Good. Then let`s get you home. Your mom is worried sick.” He held out his hand and the blonde took it reluctantly, allowing him to pull her to her feet. “We have to go through the tunnels. Kai destroyed my ring.” she murmured.  
   
Stefan looked at her empty hand in shock. “Don´t worry. I`m sure Jo can make you a new one, as soon as she`s feeling better.” he promised. Caroline nodded, once again biting back tears. That meant she would be stuck inside until Jo was better. If the witch even knew how to make a daylight ring at all. “Can you make sure Goldilocks gets home safely?” Enzo´s voice cut through her musings. “Of course. We´ll go through the tunnels and I´ll take you to your mom.” Stefan promised, without taking his eyes off the blonde.  
   
“Good. I´ve got something important to take care of.” the dark-haired vampire muttered and Caroline looked at him in shock. He was just going to leave? He smiled at her and promised: “I’ll see you later, gorgeous.” And before she could utter a reply he was gone. She stared after his retreating form for a moment, feeling strangely abandoned. For a moment she had thought he really might have feelings for her. He had come to save her after all. But now he just told Stefan to take her home and left.  
   
“Come on, Caroline. We can’t use the tunnels for the whole way, but I`m sure we can find a blanket or something to keep you safe from the sun.” Stefan reasoned. The blonde nodded and forced a smile to her lips. “Okay, let`s go.”  
   
***  
   
Alaric looked down onto the unconscious warlock like he was looking at a particularly nasty insect. “Sure you're okay having a Pentobarbital-ed house guest?” Jo asked next to him. He shrugged. “If it buys you enough time. Besides… it`s not my house.” he pointed out, just as Damon rounded the corner. “He is not staying here.” the dark-haired vampire declared, pointing at Kai with a disgusted look. “We need to keep him out of the way, until Jo is back in fighting shape.” Ric argued and Damon rolled his eyes. “With here I meant my couch. Let`s get him downstairs. Lock him up in the basement.” he clarified.  
   
“Alright.” the teacher agreed. They carried Kai downstairs and put him into one of the cells in the basement. “It`s creepy down here.” Jo commented. “Then it`s a fitting atmosphere for him.” Damon shot back, annoyed that the witch had followed them and was still standing here. She seemed to sense this, because she explained how they were to sedate Kai, while she was off at work and then left, promising to stop by tomorrow. “Sure, feel free to wreck my house again.” the dark-haired vampire muttered under his breath.  
   
“Looks like the typical craziness of Mystic Falls caught up with us, huh?” Ric commented, peering into the cell. He wasn’t about to admit it, but the fact that Kai was here was creeping him out. Even if the guy was in a medication induced coma right now. “To think I actually missed that, being stuck in 1994.” Damon agreed, leading the teacher back upstairs. He didn´t miss the way his friend was watching Kai, like he was afraid the warlock might jump up and vanish again any minute.  
   
They settled onto the couch and Damon got them drinks. “And I definitely missed this.” Ric looked at him and chuckled. “What, you didn’t have your bar in 1994? From what you told me it was even better stocked than it is now.” he mocked. “I wasn’t talking about the bourbon, Ric. I was talking about you. Drinking with Bon-Bon is not much fun. She`s a total lightweight and gets rather silly when she`s drunk.” the dark-haired vampire claimed.   
   
“So you just missed drinking with me?” Ric asked with a smile. “I missed you.” Damon clarified, not really sure what he was doing here. But it was the truth. He had missed Alaric. Probably more than he had realized. The teacher was one of the most important people in his life, even if Damon wasn’t sure where they stood now, with this new twist to their friendship. “I missed you, too.” Ric said softly. 

Damon was about to lean over and kiss him, when the front-door opened yet again and quick footsteps padded closer. Maybe he should start locking his door from now on. All these interruptions were starting to grate on his nerves. Alaric could barely stifle a groan when Enzo entered the library. He couldn't hold back his annoyed: “What do you want now?”

“Nothing from you, don't worry.” Enzo shot back, before looking at Damon. “Do you have a minute, mate?” Damon didn't miss the way Ric stiffened. He shot the teacher a warning look, before getting up to join his other friend. “Sure, what's up?” Enzo told him that he wanted to talk in private and Damon rolled his eyes, annoyed that his two best friends were behaving like children around each other. Still he led Enzo upstairs, calling over his shoulder to Alaric not to eavesdrop.

The teacher watched them go with a frown and had to force himself not to listen in on their talk. He wanted to know what Enzo wanted from Damon now. It couldn't be good, considering all the secrecy.

He breathed a sigh of relief when the two dark-haired vampires returned after just a few minutes. Damon was smirking, while Enzo looked stressed. He thanked the older Salvatore and ran out without looking at Ric. Damon returned to the library and sat down again. "What did he want?" the teacher asked immediately. "Doesn't matter." the older vampire said with a shrug, raising his suspicions. "Why the secrecy?" he grumbled.

Damon shook his head with a smile. "Stop being so nosy. It wasn't about killing someone, don't worry. He wants to impress vampire Barbie, that's all. So it doesn't really matter." he insisted. And before Alaric could start asking questions again, he silenced him effectively with a kiss.

***  
   
Night had fallen when Caroline, who was sitting huddled on her mother`s couch, was startled by a knock at the door. She ignored it, knowing her mom had probably heard it as well. She didn’t feel like moving. Just wanted to sit here and ignore everything around her, while she wallowed in misery for a while. Only moments later Liz went to open the door. Caroline could hear her talking to someone, but she paid no attention, until her mother called for her.  
   
Getting up with a sigh she went to the front door, surprised to find Enzo standing there. “I came to make sure you’re alright. But your mom won`t let me in.” he greeted her, putting his foot against the invisible barrier pointedly. The blonde vampire hesitated a moment, before turning to her mother wordlessly. “Are you sure?” Liz asked. “Yes. He won`t try anything stupid.” she promised, shooting Enzo another meaningful look. “Wouldn`t dream of it.” he assured.  
   
Liz snorted, but stepped back and after a moments hesitation said: “Okay, fine. Come in.” Enzo grinned and walked into the house. Caroline led him into the living room, where she took a seat on the couch again. “Hadn`t expected to see you again so soon.” she muttered. “You’re mad because I told Stefan to take you home.” the dark-haired vampire assumed. “Not at all. You saved my ass, made sure I`m alright… I couldn’t ask for more.” she snapped.  
   
The worst thing was, she really shouldn`t have asked for more. She hadn’t even been sure he would come to her aid and she had no idea why she had dialed his number. She could´ve called Stefan or maybe Alaric or Matt. Even Damon would have been a more plausible choice. But no, she had called Enzo – purely on instinct. And he had come to save her. “I would have taken you home myself, but I had something very important to take care of first.” Enzo let her know.  
   
“Oh and what was so important that it couldn’t wait?” Caroline asked without looking at him. “I had to track down a witch and get her to make this for you.” Enzo answered, holding out his hand to her. She looked down at the ring in his hand. “You got me a new daylight-ring?” Her voice trembled with emotion. She had already pictured herself locked up in her mom`s house for the next few days. Enzo took her hand and easily slid the ring onto her finger. “A witch needs daylight to make one. So it couldn’t wait.” he explained.  
   
Caroline admired her new ring with a soft smile. “Thank you. It´s beautiful. Where did you get it? I thought Jo would need to rest first.” she asked in wonder. “I got the ring from Damon. He once told me that he`s got a collection of them. And then I tracked down the wonder twins and blackmailed the guy into performing the spell. He felt guilty for keeping his twin-sister from helping to save you, so it was really no problem.”   
   
She felt speechless that he had gone to such length to get her a new ring. “Thank you, Enzo.” she whispered again, a smile spreading over her face. “And thank you for coming to save me today.” He smirked. “You call and I come. It`s that easy.” he drawled. Caroline looked down at her hands. “I wasn’t so sure. You`ve been kinda avoiding me the past few days.” she muttered uncertainly. Truth be told she had been certain that he`d just wanted to get her into bed and now that he had succeeded she held no more interest for him. She had been sure he would leave her alone, after managing to conquer her. Just like Klaus had.  
   
“You`ve been pushing me away, gorgeous. You were the one who said it was a mistake and we should forget it happened.” Enzo pointed out. “It was a mistake. Kind of. And I´d rather forget it.” she said firmly. Truth be told she didn’t know what she really wanted anymore. Her feelings were all over the place. “Fine by me. Mistakes are there to be repeated.” the dark-haired vampire claimed. Caroline giggled despite herself. “You´re impossible.” she chided softly.   
   
For a moment they just sat together in comfortable silence. Finally Enzo spoke up again. “Well, I guess I should go now. Your mom looks like she wants to stake me.” The blonde looked around to find her mother standing in the doorway and sure enough she didn’t look too pleased. “She won`t, unless you give her a reason to.” Caroline warned. “I´ll be on my best behavior then.” Enzo promised with a devilish grin. “Scary thought.” she commented, grinning back, before deciding to bring him to the door.  
   
“Well, see you around.” she mumbled a little hesitantly, not sure how to behave. Especially not with her mom standing just a few meters away, watching them like a hawk. “Yeah, just give me a call if you need help again. Or want to repeat any mistakes. Or if you just want to hear my voice. You obviously know my number.” Enzo joked, earning himself a punch in the shoulder. “Sure, whatever.” Caroline shot back, but she couldn’t keep the grin off her face. His flirty demeanor always got her.  
   
“Goodnight, Caroline.” he whispered strangely earnest, giving her a smoldering look she would surely dream about later. “Goodnight, Enzo.” she whispered back. He turned to leave, but she called him back at the last moment: “Enzo?” He looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Don`t eat anyone, I know.” he drawled and she chuckled. “I was going to say thank you again, but yeah, that too.” she joked, giving him a little wave.  
   
When he had disappeared into the darkness she closed the door and went back to the living room. “What mistake does he want to repeat?” her mom asked, sitting down next to her and putting two mugs of hot cocoa down on the table. Caroline blushed slightly. “Nothing important. He was just referring to our last road trip.” Liz gave her a skeptical look. “I`m not going to hear more details, am I?” she guessed. “No, you won`t.” Caroline confirmed. “Okay. You still sure you know what you’re doing?” The blonde vampire looked down at her new daylight-ring, before meeting her mother´s eyes. “Honestly, mom? I have no idea.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spontaneous party planning ahead. Not sure where that came from. And some mature Dalaric-scenes as requested by dalaricforver. See, I try my best to please my readers. Sometimes.  
> I also wanted to include some jealous Alaric, but instead posessive Damon showed up. Not sure why. He just did.

Stefan was awoken way too early by the persistent ringing of his phone. Grumbling he cast a quick look at the display, wanting to know who would be disturbing him at this ungodly hour. But when he saw Caroline's name flash up on the screen he was instantly awake. “Caroline, is something wrong?” he asked in a worried tone. “Yes, there´s something seriously wrong. Tomorrow is Christmas eve and we haven´t planned anything.”

“Christmas?” Stefan repeated dumbly. “Yes, Christmas, Stefan. And thanks to all the chaos of the last couple of days it looks like everyone's completely forgotten. Which means we have exactly one day to plan a party.” The younger Salvatore sat up with a sigh. When Caroline had decided to throw a party nothing and no-one would stop her from doing it. And he was somehow glad that she had actually called him and not Enzo. “What do you need?”

“Can we use the boarding house? You've got a lot of space.” Stefan hesitated. He wouldn't mind, but he could well imagine what Damon would think about Caroline throwing a party at their place. “I don't know. Damon won't like that idea. The witches are already using our house for Jo's training and then there's Kai, locked up in our cellar.” he mumbled. Although Damon hadn't asked him before allowing all that. So why did he bother now?

“Yeah, you're right. He would just grumble the whole time, annoy the hell out of everyone and ruin the mood.” Caroline agreed. Yes, that was the reason he bothered. Because his brother could be annoying as hell when things didn't go the way he wanted. “And I guess the comatose sociopath in our cellar wouldn't do much for the festive mood anyways.” Stefan added.

Caroline snorted. “Alright, I'll just ask Tyler then if we can hold the party at his house.” the blonde gave in. “Can I do something else to help you?” Stefan asked a little too readily. She hesitated for a second. “First I need a location. I'll call you back once I've got that covered, okay?” Caroline decided. “Sure. And I'll talk to Jo later, ask her if she can make you a new daylight-ring.” the older vampire promised. He just hoped the doctor would have recovered enough by now.

“There's no need. Enzo already got me a new ring yesterday.” the blonde let him know and Stefan had to stifle a curse. That damn Enzo again. How the hell had he managed that so quickly? But before he had the chance to say anything, Caroline had already said goodbye and hung up.

Sleep was out of the question now, so he got up and went downstairs. The house was very quiet. Something he was glad of. After the chaotic day yesterday he deserved a quiet morning. He made coffee and read the newspaper, before following a sudden, weird impulse and going down to the cellar. Kai was still lying motionless in his cell. The vampire watched him for a few minutes, before returning to the kitchen. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease the warlock's presence brought and hoped they would be rid of him soon.

Just as he entered the kitchen, Damon and Alaric came padding downstairs as well. “Morning, Stef.” the older Salvatore greeted his brother cheerily, before going downstairs to get them blood-bags. Stefan stayed behind with Alaric, who quickly averted his eyes. The younger Salvatore had to think back to the scene yesterday morning and again felt himself blushing. “So... you and my brother...” he muttered, when the silence got too heavy. The teacher looked at him in alarm and seemed relieved when the ringing of Stefan's phone saved him from answering.

Once again it was Caroline, who told him that the party would be held at the Lockwood-mansion and that she needed his help with the decoration. “Okay, I'm on my way.” Stefan promised. “Good. Tell Damon the party starts at six and I expect him to be on time. And to bring Alaric with him.” the blonde ordered before hanging up. Stefan put the phone back into his pocket and noticed the teacher watching him suspiciously. 

“Did you and Caroline talk about Damon and me?” he wanted to know. “Ahh...” Stefan mumbled, trying to think of an excuse. Luckily Damon chose that moment to return with two blood-bags. “Christmas party tomorrow at the Lockwood-mansion. Caroline wants you to be there at six, okay? I've got to go now.” And before either Damon or Ric could utter a word in reply he had already grabbed his jacket and headed out. That had been close.

***

When he arrived at the Lockwood-mansion he found Matt and Jeremy putting up fairy lights, with Jeremy complaining about the party being a waste of time. Caroline came bustling through the door and asked Stefan to help her decorate the tree. “Tyler and Liv are in charge of the bar and Enzo is organizing the food.” she let him know. Stefan bit back a retort and set to work.

During the next 20 minutes or so he listened to Caroline complaining what still had to be done, only making agreeing noises every once in a while. They were nearly finished with the tree when Matt poked his head into the room. “The fairy lights are all up, but I have to go to work now. Jeremy disappeared. Don't know where he went.” Caroline nodded absently. “Yeah, alright.”

Stefan was glad to have a chance to talk to her in private. What he wanted to say wasn't meant for outsiders. “You were right.” he blurted as soon as Matt was out of earshot. “Of course. And what was I right about this time?” Caroline asked a little bemused. “What you said about Damon and Alaric. Looks like you were right.” he admitted. The blonde grinned. “So you finally believe me, yeah?”

The younger Salvatore shrugged. He probably shouldn't tell her. Ric had already been mad at him earlier. But he needed to talk to someone about this thing. And he knew that Caroline could keep a secret. “I caught them together yesterday morning. In bed.” he finally gave in. The blonde looked up from her work. “Seriously? So they actually admitted their feelings for each other? Finally!”

He shrugged. “Well, I don't know about feelings and stuff, but they... well... you know. At least, I think they did.” he mumbled awkwardly. “You can say the word, Stefan. I won't wash out your mouth with soap or something like that. So they had sex?” Caroline prodded, rolling her eyes at his prudishness. “I think so. They were in bed together. Naked I think. I just don't know what it means. I tried to talk to Alaric earlier, but he blocked. And he got really mad when he noticed that you might know something. So please, don't talk to them, okay?”

“Why do you guys have to make everything so complicated?” the blonde grumbled. “You're idiots, all of you. But don't worry. I'll keep my mouth shut. Maybe a miracle will happen and they'll manage on their own.” It was plain to see that she didn't believe that. “Did you talk to Damon about it?” she asked after a while. Stefan shook his head. “I don't think he would tell me anything. He won't even talk about his time in the Gemini prison-world. He just makes fun of me when I ask him. And he never told me much about his love-live. Expect when he wanted to brag.”

Caroline muttered something about stupid men and how much easier life would be if guys would just talk about their feelings like normal people, but she dropped the subject. They talked some more about the upcoming party while they finished decorating the tree and put the finishing touches on the rest of the house.

***

“Your brother asked about us earlier.” Damon looked up from his breakfast in surprise. “What did you tell him?” he wanted to know. “Nothing. His phone interrupted us and he left before I really had a chance to say anything. But I think he told Caroline.” Alaric answered, after swallowing his last piece of pancake. After Stefan's hasty departure they had decided to have a quiet breakfast.

“Typical. He just can't keep his mouth shut.” Damon claimed, rolling his eyes. “What should I tell him if he asks again?” the teacher asked. He really had no idea where this thing with him and Damon was going and was hoping for some kind of clue from the dark-haired vampire. But Damon just shrugged and muttered: “Tell him to mind his own business.”

Ric nodded and decided with a resigned sigh to let the matter rest for now. Maybe it would be better to see where this was going, instead of talking it to death. “If we want to find an alternate way of bringing Bonnie back we should start with the research. I've got a few books that might be helpful and I guess the college library might be worth looking into as well.” he changed the topic.

“Sounds like a plan. Let's just bring the stuff here. We've got more space than in your flat.” Damon suggested. “Alright.” Ric agreed, since the boarding house also had the better selection of alcohol and he figured they might need a couple of drinks.

“You could grab some clothes as well. Would be stupid to make you travel back and forth. Just stay here during the break.” the dark-haired vampire offered. When Ric didn't agree straight away and just gave him a surprised look he quickly added: “You can have your own room, of course. We've got enough space. You don't have to share my bed.” He sounded a little off-balance. Obviously he wasn't sure about where they stood either, which in turn made Ric feel a bit better about the whole ting. “Well... your bed is quite big. And rather comfortable. So if you don't want to get rid of me...” he mused, giving his friend a pointed look. “Only if you start snoring.” Damon shot back with a smirk.

***

Unfortunately the search for an alternative to the Gemini-ascendant turned out to be just as boring and complex as Damon had feared. Ric's books were huge volumes with next to no index, so they had to work through every one carefully. Quite a few of them only referred to some old legends and they had no idea how much of those was the truth. Others seemed to be completely made up. After two hours of research they hadn't found anything that looked even remotely like the ascendant.But still Alaric wasn't about to be swayed and buried himself in research. Damon did his best to follow his friends example, even if he really wanted to burn those damn books in the fireplace.

Early afternoon they were interrupted by a call from Jo, who told Alaric that she needed his help. She wanted to bring some equipment to the boarding house to keep her brother firmly sedated for a couple of weeks. The teacher went to help her and Damon decided he really needed a break as well. He had just gotten himself another large glass of bourbon when Stefan came home.

The younger Salvatore looked tired and a little disheveled and there was glitter in his hair. “I helped Caroline decorate for the party tomorrow.” he explained when Damon gave him a questioning look. “And what are you doing?” he asked, taking a seat next to his brother and eying the books curiously. “Research. Kai destroyed the ascendant, so we need a different way to bring Bonnie back.” the dark-haired vampire explained. “But Ric had to help the witchy-doc with something. She wants to bring some stuff here to knock out the psychopath in our cellar for a while.”

Stefan nodded absently. He seemed to be debating with himself and the older one could already guess what was going through his mind. “So... is Ric going to stay overnight again?” Stefan asked with forced nonchalance. “Ric is going to stay for a couple of days. You got a problem with that?” It sounded more challenging than Damon had meant to. “No, I don't mind.” his brother assured quickly.

“It's just... a little unexpected, you know? I never knew that you … well... liked men. I mean, you never said anything.” Damon had to smile at his brother's prudishness. Stefan was always so uptight about everything. “Why should I? I mean, come on, Stef. When you're walking the earth as long as we, it's only natural to start experimenting after while, right?”

“Ahh, no. Well, at least I didn't.” Stefan claimed. “Really? I always thought you'd slept with Klaus back in the 20s.” There had been this strange tension between his brother and the hybrid that always had him thinking they'd known each other a little more intimately. But the younger Salvatore seemed completely shocked by the idea. “No! I've never... And certainly not with Klaus!” he shouted indignantly. “Alright. I just thought. But hey, I obviously forgot what a big prude you are.

“I'm not a prude. I'm just straight. And I was dating Rebekah back then.” Damon shrugged. “Okay, whatever you say.” Stefan kept grumbling for a few more minutes. The insinuation he might have had an affair with Klaus had obviously gotten to him. The older Salvatore thought the discussion was over, when his brother finally calmed down and asked: “So... that thing with you and Ric.. is it serious?”

It was the one question Damon didn't want to answer. Didn't even know how to answer. He had no idea what this thing with Ric was. He just knew that the teacher was good for him and that he didn't want to lose him. Never again. He needed Ric. But he had no desire to discuss it with his brother. So he pasted a big grin onto his face and said: “Mind your own business, Stefan. I don't meddle in your practically non-existent love-life, do I?”

Like expected the younger one started sputtering again. “You don't meddle? You? I had to listen to your advice about Caroline for days, despite the fact that we're only friends.” Damon shrugged dismissively. “Oh that. That was just a bit of brotherly advice.” he claimed. “Keep your brotherly advice to yourself from now on.” Stefan ordered, before storming upstairs in a huff. The dark-haired vampire watched his retreat with a grin. Yep, he still knew perfectly well how to rile his baby brother up. With a little luck Stefan would keep pouting for a few days and spare him further questions.

But now that he had gotten rid of Stefan he was on his own again. And he was growing bored. He glanced at the books, but couldn't bring himself to pick one up. Damn, why did everything have to get so fucking complicated all of a sudden? As if it weren't enough that he had to find a way to save Bonnie (a nearly impossible task, he knew) there was also that thing with Ric. Okay, he liked that thing with Ric. A lot. And actually he just wanted to keep going like this. But sooner or later he would have to find out what exactly that thing was. And that scared him a little.

He was glad when Alaric returned a little while later. He was not so glad to find Jo following him. And he liked it even less when Ric thrust a box into his hands and asked him to carry it downstairs. Grumbling Damon did as asked, while Ric and Jo went to fetch more boxes and other strange items. It looked like they had packed half of the hospital equipment.

For the next half hour Damon stood outside Kai's cell and watched Jo setting up machines, hooking her brother up on those machines and various IV-drips and taking notes on a hospital clipboard of all ridiculous things. "Okay, that should keep him out of the way for a while, without doing permanent damage. I'll come by regularly to check on him and change the IV-drips, but there should be no complications." she finally said. Alaric nodded and held open the cell-door for her. Ever the perfect gentleman. The gesture made Damon grit his teeth. "If you need anything else..."

"We'll be glad to help you." Damon interrupted sarcastically. "But we're actually very busy today. Research, you know. So if you don't mind..." The witch gave him a dark look, which he returned with a scowl of his own. He didn't like her. Never had. Okay, so she could be useful. Sometimes. But he didn't like the way she was always hitting on Alaric. So what if the teacher had said she wasn't his type? Damon wasn't about to take risks. Ric was his and the sooner the little witch-doctor got that, the better.

"I don't want to keep you from your research then. I'll see you in a couple of days." Jo gave in, taking the hint. She smiled at Alaric and said her goodbyes, before leaving. "What the hell was that about?" the teacher asked mildly annoyed. "I wanted to get rid of her." Damon admitted strangely honest. "Yeah, I noticed. Care to tell me why?" No, the older vampire didn't want to tell him. He didn't even know why he was acting that possessive all of a sudden. But Ric wanted an answer, so he would have to tell him something else. Why not something that would be true anyways? "Because I wanted to do this." he finally replied, grabbing Alaric and pulling him in for a kiss.

The action took the teacher by surprise, but he returned the kiss nonetheless. And very enthusiastically at that. Damon gasped in surprise when he was suddenly pushed back against the rough brick wall. Ric's hands started skimming over his body restlessly, so Damon hurried to catch up, shoving his own hands beneath Ric's shirt. He had no idea how long they stood there, making out like horny teenagers, until Ric finally pulled back and demanded: "Let's move this to your bedroom." Damon was all too happy to comply. But getting there proved rather difficult, since they just couldn't keep their hands off each other. They kept stopping every few steps to kiss and grope.

Damon heard the voices before they even reached the living room, but he could see that Alaric hadn't noticed them yet. Good, because this opportunity was too good to pass up. Time to show the witchy-doc who Alaric really belonged to. Without missing a beat he shoved Ric towards the stairs at vamp-speed, pushing him against the wall and kissing him passionately again. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Stefan and Jo stopping their discussion abruptly to turn and stare at them open-mouthed. Ric didn't notice any of it. He was too busy kissing Damon. When his hands started wandering again, tugging at Damon's shirt, the dark-haired vampire broke the kiss and pulled him upstairs with a triumphant grin. He'd made his point.

Somehow they finally made it to Damon's bedroom, where Alaric practically ripped the older vampire's shirt off. Damon retaliated in kind and in no time at all their clothes were scattered all over the floor. They tumbled onto the bed, Damon pressing Ric down on the mattress, kissing and licking every inch of skin he could reach. Ric was gasping and arching into his touches, spurring him on even further. Damon only let up long enough to get the lube out of the nightstand. Then he went right back to driving Ric insane with his hands and mouth. He licked and nipped at Alaric's erection playfully for a moment, before taking the whole cock down his throat, relishing Ric's groan. At the same time he opened the lube and started preparing himself with clever fingers.

The teacher moaned in protest when Damon pulled off his cock. But the older vampire didn't give him time to catch his breath. He maneuvered him into a sitting position and went to straddle Ric's lap, guiding Ric's erection to his entrance and sliding down on it slowly. He leaned forward and sunk his fangs into Ric's shoulder, making the teacher groan in pleasure and push up against him, sheathing himself completely in the tight heat. Damon moaned, closing his eyes and starting to move. Ric matched his rhythm instantly, one hand sliding over the dark-haired vampire's back in a sensual caress, the other stroking his straining erection.

"Damon..." Damon opened his eyes with some difficulty and saw that Ric had vamped out. Without a word he bared his neck to the teacher, whimpering slightly when Ric bit down without hesitation. It was too much. Ric moving inside him, hitting his sweet spot with every thrust, while using the perfect pressure to stroke him, combined with the bite finally pushed him over the edge and he came hard between their bodies. Only seconds later he could feel Ric finding his release as well.

Gasping for breath they sank down onto the mattress. For a few minutes they just laid there quietly, while their heart-beats slowed down to normal and sweat cooled on their bodies. "We need a shower." Ric finally broke the silence. "Hmm... I've got a better idea. Bubble-bath." Damon decided, getting up reluctantly. The teacher shook his head with a chuckle, but agreed anyways. "Fine, if you insist. As long as we get clean." The dark-haired vampire hauled him up and pulled him towards the bathroom. "We'll get clean. Eventually."


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gave me some trouble. Adding a Christmas Party since they didn't get one on the Show sounded like a good idea. Until I started to write. Then, well... I rewrote this twice and I'm still not sure if I like it. I also don't know why jealous Alaric decided to come out now. And I also don't know why Stefan insists on me writing chapters from his perspective. He never likes the result.

When Stefan entered the Lockwood-mansion early next afternoon he couldn't shake the feeling that this party wouldn't go as smoothly as Caroline hoped. In his opinion it was bound to end in disaster. Okay, the house was decorated nicely, the music provided a gentle background noise and the delicious smell of food wafted from the kitchen, making everything seem perfect. But there were barely any guests here yet.

Only Liv and Tyler were cuddled together on the couch, while Caroline put the finishing touches on the table. Stefan tried to take a peek at the seating arrangements, but the blonde sent him to the kitchen, to make sure everything was going as planned. Once there he noticed with surprise that she had gotten a catering service for the night. The two cooks told him everything was under control, so he went back to the living-room, where Matt had just arrived. Caroline was finally satisfied and joined them as well. For a while they talked a little haltingly about College and parties, until the other guests started arriving.

But with each new arrival the atmosphere only got more tense. Jeremy went to sulk in a corner and Luke barely took his eyes off his phone. Liz started a whispered conversation with her daughter, which Stefan didn't dare to interrupt. So he stood to the side, feeling a little left out, while he watched the others. Elena came with Liam in tow, about the same time as Jo and Liam started pestering the doctor with medical questions immediately.

After a while of watching Jo get more and more annoyed, Stefan noticed that Matt was having a heated discussion at the front door. He went to investigate and found Enzo leaning against the doorjamb, making fun of the barkeeper. “Come on, Blondie. You can't still be mad at me for killing your mate Tripp.” the dark-haired vampire said mockingly. “Yes, I am. And I won't invite you into this house. So get lost.” Matt ordered harshly. “Sorry, no can do. The lovely Caroline invited me. And I even organized the catering service.” Enzo let him know. Stefan snorted. That explained a lot.

“You mean to say you compelled the catering service. I guess they're not even getting paid for tonight, are they?” he wanted to know. “You're disgusting!” Matt spat and tried to close the door in Enzo's face. But the vampire was quicker and stopped him. By now their quarrel had unfortunately attracted Caroline's attention. She stormed into the hallway and asked annoyed what the hell was taking them so long. “Your blond friend here doesn't want to let me in, gorgeous.” Enzo told her. “What? Stop being a dick and invite him in, Matt.” the blonde ordered.

But Matt wasn't having it. “No way. He's a murderer and a psychopath! I won't allow him to enter this house.” he insisted. “Yes, he's a murderer. Just like me. Just like Tyler and Elena and Stefan. And you invited all of us in.” Caroline shot back. “That's different.” Matt argued, but she didn't back down. “No, it's not. Enzo is my friend. I invited him. He will behave. That's a promise. And now invite him in.”

“What are you all fighting about?” Tyler chimed in all of a sudden. He had obviously noticed the commotion and wanted to know what was going on. “Matt refuses to let Enzo into the house, despite the fact that I invited him to the party.” Caroline snapped, glaring at the barkeeper, who glared right back. “You invited him?” Tyler checked. The blonde nodded. “Then what's the fucking problem? Just tell him to come in, man.” Matt gave his friend a shocked look, but Tyler had already turned around and disappeared back inside.

“You heard your mate.” Enzo sing-songed with a smirk. Reluctantly Matt admitted defeat and stepped aside. “Fine. Come in then.” The dark-haired vampire grinned winningly and stepped over the threshold. “See, wasn't so hard, was it?” he mocked, before turning to Caroline. “You look radiant tonight, gorgeous. Are you satisfied with the catering service?” she smiled and led him into the living-room, while Matt watched them with a dark look. “I hate the guy!”

“Yeah, me too. But she seems to like him. Wonder why.” Stefan agreed with a resigned sigh. “Who likes who?” Damon's voice chimed in all of a sudden. The older Salvatore was just walking up the driveway with Alaric in tow. “Did we miss something important?” he asked, while he tried to walk past Matt and was stopped by the invisible barrier. “Ugh, Donovan invite us in.”

Matt frowned at the vampires. “Not so long ago this house was completely safe. No vampire could get inside. And now? Oh what do I care. Come in.” he snapped, turning and stomping back into the living-room. “Wow, who pissed him off?” Damon wanted to know. Stefan just shrugged and muttered: “Enzo.” while they followed Matt.

Once they had reached the living-room, Damon and Alaric were scolded by Caroline for being late, before the blonde asked everyone to settle down for dinner. After some shuffling around everyone had found his or her seat and dinner was served. But Stefan soon started wondering what had made Caroline put the people around the table in this order. Okay, seating Damon and Alaric as far away from Elena and Jo as possible had been a good idea. But putting Matt directly opposite Enzo? That was a disaster waiting to happen. 

Caroline had put Jo at the head of the table (Probably since she had had no idea where else to put her. Stefan was surprised she was even invited.), right next to her was Liz and then Caroline herself. The younger Salvatore was a little mad that Enzo had gotten the seat next to Caroline, while he had to sit between Enzo and Damon. Of course Alaric was sitting on Damon's other side and Jeremy had gotten the seat at the far end of the table, next to Ric. Luke was sitting next to Jeremy and opposite Alaric. Next to him were his sister and Tyler and then Matt (directly across from Enzo). Elena was sitting between Matt and Liam.

Unfortunately it didn't take long until Stefan's guess that the seating arrangements weren't ideal was proven true. Matt was glaring daggers at Enzo, who either didn't notice or didn't care. He was too busy flirting with Caroline (much to her mother's displeasure) or talking to Damon over Stefan's head. The older Salvatore on the other hand mostly had eyes for Alaric only and kept on ignoring his brother. Stefan felt more than a little annoyed, since he didn't want to talk to Enzo (who didn't even acknowledge him most of the time) and also didn't want to shout across the whole table at someone who might listen to him.

So he sulked in his seat and busied himself with watching the others again. He couldn't help but notice how Damon and Alaric kept grinning at each other, like they shared some secret joke. And he didn't miss the fact that Damon touched Ric a lot more often than necessary. He just didn't know what to make of it. Especially after the little scene yesterday. He couldn't shake the feeling that Damon at least had known exactly that he and Jo were standing there and could see him and Ric... well, making out. Meanwhile Elena was either glaring at Damon or gazing adoringly at Liam. Damon didn't seem to notice either way and Stefan wondered again what had happened between them.

Jo was stealing glances at Damon and Ric as well, but she kept her face carefully neutral. Still the fact that she was on her second glass of wine before the main course was even served spoke volumes in Stefan's opinion. Jeremy was pouting and only gave grumpy answers when spoken to. Luke was still gazing at his phone every few minutes, much to Caroline's annoyance. But at least he answered politely when he was asked something.

The younger Salvatore was glad when dinner was finally over and everyone went back into the living-room. Even though the tense atmosphere didn't lessen. At least people were able to put some distance between themselves and those they didn't like. In Jeremy's case this seemed to be pretty much everyone. He went into a dark corner to sulk again. Matt followed him after a while and Stefan noticed them talking in hushed whispers with some unease. He couldn't help feeling they were plotting something and decided to talk to Elena about her brother as soon as possible. Maybe he could also ask her about her fight with Damon when he was at it.

But right now he didn't want to disturb her, since she was standing under a mistletoe with Liam. Damon still ignored both of them. He and Alaric had claimed seats next to the fireplace and were talking animatedly to Liz. Ric didn't look too pleased when Enzo joined them after a while, but he did his best to be polite. Liz on the other hand excused herself and went to join Jo, who was standing in a corner with another glass of wine. If Stefan had counted correctly it was her seventh so far.

Caroline was discussing something with Luke, while Liv and Tyler were cuddled together on the couch again. Stefan himself was standing in a corner, too busy watching everyone else and waiting for disaster to finally strike to relax. In his opinion it was a wonder that the party went this smoothly so far. They most likely had Caroline to thank for that. Everyone here knew how much this meant to her and since pretty much everyone liked the blonde they tried their best to behave.

As if on cue said blonde came over to join him. "Hey, why are you standing here all alone?" Stefan shrugged and frowned when she rolled her eyes. She had picked up this gesture from Damon and he always found it a little disconcerting. "I'm starting to worry about Elena." Caroline admitted. "She's acting weird. Do you think she's drunk? Maybe she's not used to human tolerance anymore." she mused. The younger Salvatore followed her line of sight. Elena was now sitting on Liam's lap and laughing too loudly at his stupid jokes. He seemed to have the night of his life. But Stefan had to admit that this behavior was strange for her. "I think she had a fight with Damon." he let the blonde know, while he watched out of the corner of his eye as Jeremy and Matt snuck out of the room. "Yeah, what else is new?" Caroline grumbled.

"Hey sis, you're under the mistletoe." Luke's exclamation caused not only Stefan and Caroline to look around. Liv was really standing directly under a mistletoe, that had been placed rather conveniently (or not) above the bar. Right next to her was Damon. Stefan held his breath as both of them looked up, shrugged and then kissed, like it was nothing. And it wasn't a quick peck either, but a real kiss.

Stefan's eyes went first to Tyler, who looked about ready to explode and then to Elena, who was watching the scene with a stony expression. A strange creaking sound made him look towards the fireplace, where Alaric was gripping the armrest of his chair so hard that it almost shattered beneath his hand. No-one seemed to notice, since Enzo had started making cat-calls, but Stefan saw the dark look that crossed Ric's features. For a second the capillaries beneath his eyes seemed to ripple, before he got a grip on himself and his face went blank. The younger Salvatore glanced at Caroline, who nodded in agreement and had to stifle a grin.

All of a sudden the atmosphere seemed tense and the younger Salvatore feared that now something bad would happen. Enzo making comments in Tyler's direction didn't exactly help matters. Elena was focusing on Liam again, pretending she hadn't noticed anything. Tyler looked like he wanted to hit something or someone and when Liv sat down next to him again he put his arm around her in a possessive gesture. Damon only shrugged and claimed to have kissed better witches. Alaric was suddenly very silent.

Slowly the tension lessened. The all around chatter started up again and everyone went back to what they were doing. But Stefan kept watching Alaric with a strange feeling of unease, not surprised to find Caroline doing the same. A little while later Enzo got up and went over to the bar to refill his glass, of course stopping directly underneath the mistletoe. Idiot! The teacher used the chance to get up and motion for Damon to follow him. Caroline grabbed Stefan's arm and dragged him with her. He really had no desire to spy on his brother and Ric, but he also didn't dare to resist the blonde. They snuck out into the corridor and ducked behind a cupboard, peeking out to watch Damon and Alaric near the front door.

"Let's head back to the boarding house." the teacher was just saying. "You want to leave already?" Damon sounded surprised. "Why not? You didn't want to come in the first place." Ric reminded. "Yeah, but we'll draw vampire Barbie's wrath upon us if we sneak away from her stupid party. And I don't wanna have to listen to her bitching." Caroline made an indignant sound, but Stefan barely noticed. He was too busy watching Ric. He could practically see the tension radiating off the teacher.

"I don't care. Let's go." Alaric insisted, taking another step towards Damon and continuing in a lower voice: "I promise to make it up to you." Damon's eyes widened in surprise. "What's gotten into you, Ric?" he asked, but he was smiling. The teacher shrugged. "Nothing. Just... You look incredible tonight." he whispered roughly. Without warning he pushed the dark-haired vampire against the wall, kissing him passionately for a few seconds, before starting to lick and suck at his throat. At the same time he slid one of his legs between Damon's, rubbing against him, making him gasp in surprise. "I'm nearly convinced, but... ahh.." Damon's words ended in a groan and Stefan's eyes widened in shock when he noticed why. Alaric had just bitten his brother.

"Okay, let's go." Damon agreed, his voice sounding strangely breathy. "Let me just say goodbye to..." But Alaric shook his head and grabbed the older vampire's arm. "No need. They'll notice we're gone. Come on." he ordered and Damon followed him obediently. Stefan stared at the closed door in shock, trying to process what he had just witnessed. Damon never let anyone order him around. A giggle made him look at Caroline. "He was totally jealous. That's so cute." she commented. "Come on, we'll let them get away with it this time and tell the others they've already left." she decided then and the younger Salvatore followed her back to the living room, still reeling with shock. 

Halfway there they met Liz, who told them she had to leave as well. "I'm on duty tomorrow, darling. But it was a nice party." Caroline led her to the door, while Stefan dropped into an armchair. The party seemed to have ended while they had been spying on Damon and Ric. Luke was next to leave. He thanked Caroline for the invitation, but told her he had a date. Only a few minutes later Elena and Liam left as well, promising to drop Jo off at her flat, since the doctor seemed pretty intoxicated by now. Jeremy and Matt had apparently not come back and Tyler was already upstairs with Liv. Stefan could hear them fighting.

In the end only Stefan and Caroline were left to clean up. At least the younger Salvatore thought so, until he spotted Enzo, still lurking in a corner. Thankfully the blonde had spied him as well and put him to work. He still managed to annoy Stefan with his running commentary, but at least he couldn't flirt with Caroline all the time.

Once the house was clean again (in Stefan's opinion probably a lot cleaner than it had been in weeks) the blonde bade them goodnight and left alone. The younger Salvatore was glad that she had turned down Enzo's offer to drive her home, so he didn't complain. He didn't like the fact that she seemed to get along really well with Damon's former cell-mate. And he also didn't understand it.

Enzo was a bad influence. On Caroline just as much as on Damon. But he would have to be cautious with comments like these. His friendship with Caroline was still a little rocky. She had forgiven him, but he was still on trial. Maybe he could tell her his opinion when they had gotten past all that shit and he had gained her trust again. Until then he would have to content himself with watching Enzo carefully. And if push came to shove he could still ask Elena to talk to Caroline. It was no secret that the brunette didn't like Enzo either.

And he had enough other things on his mind right now. When he reached the boarding house he opened the door quietly, sneaking inside and almost tripping over Damon's leather jacket. Clothes were strewn all over the stairs, but the house was thankfully silent. Damon and Alaric were obviously already asleep. Small mercy. Stefan frowned at the clothes, noting that some of them seemed ripped and deciding that he really didn't want to know. He crept to his own room and buried beneath the covers. It was really no concern of his what his brother did and with who. None at all. And if Caroline wanted to spy on them again he wouldn't help her. He might already be scarred for life after these last couple of days.


	23. Chapter 23

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing! And if I have to read one more fucking witch book I'll go mad!” Damon shouted, throwing the book he had just finished across the room. Alaric caught it before it hit the wall. “Hey, don't take your frustrations out on my poor books.” he scolded, putting the book onto the pile where all the others had ended up already.

He could understand Damon's frustration. They had spent over three weeks searching through every book about witchcraft and magic they could get their hands on and still they weren't any closer to rescuing Bonnie from the prison-world. The teacher had talked to Jo as well as Liv and Luke on various occasions, but all three of them were convinced that without the ascendant there was no way to save Bonnie. He had ignored them and continued the search, but he was slowly starting to realize that they were right. There was nothing they could do.

With a sigh he flopped down into an armchair and glanced over at Damon, who was sitting on the floor and had his face buried in his hands. Those last three weeks had put their friendship to the test like nothing had before. They weren't used to spending 24 hours a day in each others presence and the near impossible task they had set themselves made their tempers rise. Of course the fact that most of the thick volumes they were working through were boring as hell didn't help matters either. And to top it off, Damon got irritated when he had to sit still for a longer period of time. 

So it was probably no wonder that they had fought quite a few times. Had shouted at each other and said things they didn't mean. Surprising was only that every fight had ended with them ripping each others clothes off and toppling into bed together. Or onto the couch, the floor or whatever flat surface was closest. Alaric had to admit that he could get used to this kind of stress relief. He was just glad that they had moved to his flat for their research, where it was unlikely that someone would walk in on them.

The boarding house was just too crowded. They hadn't been able to concentrate on the books. There were Liv and Luke, who were still using the house as a training camp for Jo. Elena insisted that the witch was getting a lot better, but Ric privately thought it was just wishful thinking on her part. Then there was Stefan, who had the uncanny ability to barge in at the most inopportune moments and who had also started watching them suspiciously. At least Ric thought so. He hadn't told Damon for fear of getting laughed at. And of course there was also Jeremy, who still came and went as he pleased. Just like any other member of their supernatural circle of friends.

In the end Damon had packed a bag and moved back into Ric's flat for the time being. They hadn't talked about what they would do once they ran out of books. It was inevitable. There were just so many books about the same, weird subject and they had probably read them all by now. They hadn't talked about their relationship either. In fact, they hadn't talked much at all, aside from discussing various new ideas and theories or joking around whenever they took a break (and weren't busy screwing each others brains out).

Alaric was almost glad that the break was over and he had to teach classes again. Despite the fact that they worked amazingly well together, despite all their fights and shouting matches, it couldn't be good for them to stay cooped up together and practically hide from the rest of the world. Okay, Enzo had stopped by twice to join their discussion, but he had been anything but helpful and it had taken all of Ric's self control not to punch him in the face. 

He knew that they couldn't go on like this forever. Sooner or later they would have to talk about where they stood right now. What they were now. They had passed the stage of friendship, but were they lovers now? He had no idea. And he delayed that inevitable talk as long as possible. For now he was content to concentrate on getting Bonnie back. Everything else would have to wait.

“Let's do something. These damn books are driving me mad. We need to get out of here for a while.” Damon's voice cut through his thoughts. “And what do you suggest?” Ric asked in surprise. True, they had barely left the apartment since starting their research. No wonder Damon was cranky as hell. “I don't know. We could go out to dinner. And then... maybe see a movie.” the dark-haired vampire suggested. It sounded awfully like a date, but Ric didn't dare to comment. “Sounds good.” he agreed instead.

“Of course it does. I'm full of good ideas.” Damon bragged with a grin, before giving him a critical look. “But I'm not taking you out in this outfit. Get changed.” Alaric snorted, but walked into his bedroom obediently. Arguing would get him nowhere when his friend was in a mood.

After he had traded his worn jeans and plain white shirt for new black jeans and a dark-red button-down shirt he went back into the living-room. Damon had used his absence to change as well. He was now wearing dark jeans, a tight gray shirt and his leather jacket. “Satisfied?” Ric wanted to know. “Yeah, you don't look half bad.” the older vampire commented with a grin. The teacher rolled his eyes and pushed him towards the door. “You're driving.”

***

Damon took him to a fancy Italian restaurant and compelled the waiter to get them a quiet table in a corner. The romantic atmosphere spiked Alaric's nervousness, even if he knew that it was stupid to be nervous around Damon. They had been friends for years and knew each other really well. And not to forget they had been sleeping together for almost a month now. Having dinner was nothing. It was even more intimate when Damon cooked for him at home, right?

But maybe it was the fact that they were going out together that made him so nervous. Despite the fact that they had a table in a quiet corner, anyone could walk in and see them together. And this really looked like a date, with the candles and the soft music.

“You're fidgeting.” Damon let him know after they had placed their orders. “Sorry. I guess I'm not used to being surrounded by people outside of my classroom anymore.” the teacher claimed. “Are you still having trouble with the blood-lust? I thought you were doing better lately.” the dark-haired vampire sounded worried. “Well, some days are easier than others.” Ric told him honestly. True, Damon's advice had helped a lot, but there were still days when he had trouble holding back.

He jumped when Damon suddenly grabbed his hand. “Hey, don't worry. You'll get the hang of it soon enough. You just need more practice. I mean, you're still kind of a baby-vampire, right?” he joked. Ric had to smile. “Probably. And at least I've got a good teacher.” he agreed. “The very best.” the older vampire claimed.

Their talk was interrupted by the return of the waiter who brought their food. He saw their joined hands and gave them a disgusted look. Ric pulled his hand back like he'd been burned. Damon on the other hand was glaring at the waiter and decided that he wouldn't pay for their food. Okay, he had no idea where this completely stupid urge to hold Ric's hand all the time was coming from, but he wouldn't take shit for it. Especially not from a punk like that.

The waiter's reaction seemed to have gotten to Ric, who was awfully quiet all of a sudden, so Damon tried his best to take his mind off it. He hadn't thought anything by inviting his friend to dinner. Only now did he realize that this might look like a date and he couldn't help but wonder what Ric thought. But he didn't dare to ask. Instead he tried to act casual.

Slowly the teacher was starting to relax again and they were talking animatedly about movies, while they enjoyed their food and drank their wine. After desert Ric excused himself and quickly went to the restroom to clean up. He had been so busy staring at Damon, who was licking ice-cream off his spoon and imagining Damon licking something else, that he had dribbled ice-cream onto his pants. 

Once he returned Damon claimed to have already paid. His friend didn't need to know that he had in fact compelled the waiter to pay for them. They drove to the cinema, only to find out that most films had already started. But the dark-haired vampire insisted on seeing something, so they ended up watching some stupid romance. The other people – mostly girls and a few couples – gave them weird looks and got really annoyed when the two vampires in the back-row started snickering and making fun of the actors. When Damon started throwing popcorn they were thrown out after about half of the movie.

“We should have compelled the guy to let us stay.” the dark-haired vampire pouted on the drive home. “Too many witnesses. And the movie was crap anyways.” Ric argued. “But now we'll never find out if he wakes up from his coma and if they do get married in the end.” The teacher chuckled. “How can we ever cope with not knowing?”

“We could try to see it again tomorrow.” Damon suggested. Luckily Alaric was spared from answering. They had just reached his flat and found Stefan waiting for them. “There you are. I've been looking all over for you. Why aren't you answering your fucking phones?” the younger Salvatore started rambling as soon as they had gotten out of the car. “Stefan, mind you language. Didn't I teach you not to curse?” Damon joked.

But his brother wasn't in the mood for jokes. “Stop joking around. We have a serious problem.” Something in his tone made the other two sober up immediately. “What happened?” Ric wanted to know. “Kai is gone.” Stefan said without beating around the bush. “What do you mean, gone? He can't have walked out of his cell now, can he?” Damon grumbled. “Yeah, Jo has been keeping him sedated. I helped her to bring the stuff to the boarding house. And the cell was supposed to be locked.” Alaric agreed.

“Doesn't change the fact that the cell was open when I went to look earlier. The bed was empty and there's no trace of Kai.” That sounded bad. Really bad. “You're trying to tell us someone helped him escape?” Stefan shrugged. “Looks like it. But I have no idea who might have done it. Only a few people even knew where Kai was. And who would want that maniac to run lose in Mystic Falls? If we had thought someone might help him we would've kept an eye on him. And I was only gone for a few hours anyways.”

It just didn't make sense. Because Stefan was right. Who would want to free Kai? “Doesn't matter right now. He's on the lose and Caroline thinks there might be a celestial event tonight. Something about mercury and venus. She googled it.” the younger Salvatore continued. “He could merge with Jo.” Alaric realized. Even if he hadn't really been in touch with her lately, he was sure that she couldn't win the merge. She wasn't strong enough yet. “Elena and Caroline went to the hospital to warn Jo. I haven't heard from them yet.”

“Okay, good. Let them take care of the witch and we go looking for Kai. He can't be far, right?” Damon mused. Stefan nodded. “We tried to reach Liv or Luke, but they aren't answering their phones. I'll keep trying. Maybe they can help us find Kai.” Alaric's worry was growing by the second. Maybe Kai had already gotten the twins.

“Have you tried Tyler? Liv is his girlfriend. He should know where she is.” he asked, but Stefan told him that Tyler wasn't answering his phone either. Just great. The teacher just hoped they were all having hot dates and had chosen to ignore their phones. He and Damon had switches their phones off earlier, not wanting to be disturbed. They couldn't have know that a new crisis would arise when they wanted to spend a nice, quiet evening for once.

“Okay, let's split up. You try to reach them on their phones again and let us know when Elena and Caroline call. And we go in search of Kai.” the older Salvatore decided. “And where will you start looking?” his brother asked skeptically. “Well, I guess he wants to get his hands on his siblings. And since you already sent the girls to the hospital to warn Jo, we'll try the dorms and the bar where Liv works. Jo's flat might be an option as well.” Damon mused.

Stefan nodded. “Okay, sounds good. I'll ask Elena for Jo's address and take a look. Maybe Kai is waiting there for her. You try to find the twins, alright?” Damon and Alaric nodded and they all went different ways. Damon tried the dorms, while Alaric went to the bar, where he found both twins sitting at a table. But they weren't alone. Their father was with them, which raised the teacher's suspicion. He remembered his last meeting with Joshua Parker all too clearly. After all the warlock had tried to kill Damon back then.

Therefore Ric had to fight the sudden urge to pounce on him. Instead he walked slowly towards the table. “Hey, sorry for disturbing you. But I really need to talk to the two of you. It's important.” He greeted them. Liv looked up in alarm. “Do I know you?” her father asked, before she had a chance to reply. “Dad, this is...” Luke started, but his sister quickly interrupted him: “Professor Saltzman. He's one of our teachers. It's about the project, right? Sorry dad, but it's really important. We'll be right back.” she promised, getting up quickly and ushering Ric outside. Luke followed them hesitantly.

“What's wrong?” Liv wanted to know, as soon as they had left the bar. “What is your father doing here?” Alaric asked instead of answering. “Today is our birthday. We're 22 now and therefore old enough for the merge. That's why he's here.” Luke explained. “We just told him that Jo is going to do the merge with Kai and asked him to let us out of the tradition.” his sister added.

“Let me guess, he wasn't too pleased with this idea?” the teacher guessed. “He's not happy about it, but we can get him to agree. So whatever the problem is, I'm sure it can wait, right?” Luke asked. Ric sighed. “I wish. But I need to tell you that your brother escaped. It looks like someone helped Kai.” The twins looked at him in shock. “Tonight is a mercury-venus-conjection.” Luke whispered suddenly. “He will force Jo to do the merge.”

“Not if we can find him in time. But I need your help.” Alaric argued, just as his phone beeped. It was a message from Stefan, letting him know that Jo wasn't at the hospital and also not at home. “Looks like your sister disappeared. We're running out of time.” the teacher relayed the message.

And to make matters even worse Joshua chose that moment to come looking for his kids. “There you are. I've been thinking about your words. And I have to admit, I'm proud of you both. You've build a good life for yourselves here.” he said quietly. “Does that mean you'll think about what we asked?” Luke asked hopefully. Joshua held his hands out to both twins. Ric couldn't say why, but the gesture made goosebumps rise on his skin. “We're a family.” Joshua murmured. A strange look passed over his face when Liv and Luke took his hands. Alaric understood too late...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little spoiler for the next chapter: There will be a Gemini-merge and it will go a little differently than it did on the show. But I'm not telling more.


	24. Chapter 24

„Sanguinem desimilus, sanguinem generis fiantus.“ Joshua started chanting. The twins tried to pull out of his grip, but it was too late. The spell had already began. “No, Dad stop. She's not strong enough!” Luke cried in panic, but his father ignored him and continued chanting. Ric felt totally helpless. He could only stand there and watch the drama unfold. But someone else reacted. Tyler appeared out of nowhere, tackled Joshua to the ground and started hitting him.

Finally Alaric awoke from his stupor and pulled him away from the by now unconscious warlock. “Stop, you're killing him.” Tyler fought against his grip, but he was no match for the original vampire's strength. “He tried to kill her.” he shouted in a rage. Liv threw herself into his arms, once Ric had let go of him. “I'm okay. It's okay.” she assured shakily. “What the hell was that?” the teacher wanted to know. “He must've heard us. He heard that Kai escaped.” Luke assumed. He looked pretty shaken as well.

The ringing of Alaric's phone made all of them jump in shock. He quickly answered it. “I'm at the park. They... they're just lying there. I don't know what to do.” Damon stammered. “The park near the hospital? Who is just lying there, Damon? Is it Jo?” Ric prodded. “Yes.” the older vampire whispered. “What is wrong with Jo?” Liv wanted to know, but Alaric ignored her and sped to the park.

Damon stood there, looking lost. Jo and Kai were lying motionless on the ground. “What happened?” the teacher asked in shock. “I don't know. When I arrived they were holding hands and saying some witchy stuff. And then they just... sort of collapsed.” the dark-haired vampire explained. Ric dropped down on his knees next to Jo. “She's still breathing. But her heart-beat is too slow, isn't it?”

“Kai's heart-beat is just the same.” Damon noticed, looking warily between Jo and Kai. Minutes ticket by, but nothing happened. “We could give her some blood.” Damon offered hesitantly. “That wouldn't help.” Liv chimed in. She had just arrived at the scene, with Luke and Tyler in tow. “They completed the merge. Now it's up to them. Whoever wakes up is the winner. And the other one...” she shuddered and leaned heavily against Tyler, who put his arm around her protectively. “How the hell did he manage to escape?” Luke fumed.

“It was my fault. I helped him.” Tyler admitted quietly and flinched when all eyes turned to him. Liv took a step back and stared at him in horror. “Your father would have never listened to you. He just proved that, didn't he? But I couldn't let you die. I had to do something.” Tyler defended his actions.

“So your boyfriend chose a pact with the devil.” an all too familiar voice chimed in. Kai had gotten up while they all had their backs turned and was grinning at them like a maniac. “Poor Jo. Guess she wasn't as strong as you all thought.” he mocked. Damon growled and tried to pounce on him, but Kai was gone before he even came close. “Fuck, I hate that move!” the dark-haired vampire cursed.

“We're dead.” Liv whispered. “What? No, I'm going to protect you. He won't get you.” Tyler promised, but she just shook her head sadly. “Kai is now the leader of our coven. Which means that our lives are bound to his. If he dies, we die with him. And as long as he lives he will try to kill us, to make sure we don't merge.” Tyler was searching for words, but his girlfriend didn't seem to expect an answer. “Let's go back to the dorms and pack a few things. We won't make it easy for him to find us.” Luke decided.

But Liv was staring at Jo's body and didn't move. “Go with your brother. I'll take care of Jo and … the funeral.” Tyler promised. The witch whispered her thanks and followed Luke. “So... looks like you fucked it up, Lockwood.” Damon commented. “I did what I had to do to protect my girlfriend. Don't tell me you would have acted different in my place.”

The dark-haired vampire was about to retort when he noticed Alaric getting up and walking away at a quick pace. The teacher had been awfully quiet the whole time and Damon could already guess what was on his mind. He was feeling guilty. So he turned his back on little Lockwood and followed Ric.

The original vampire had obviously realized the merits of vamp-speed by now, because he only caught up with him in front of his flat. “Ric...” Damon started, but the teacher interrupted him. “I promised to protect her from her brother, Damon. When she gave me the ascendant, I promised that he wouldn't get to her. And now she's dead.”

“And it's not your fault. Little Lockwood decided to help the psychopath escape. He set him lose. Not you.” Damon argued. “Doesn't matter. We shouldn't have left Kai unguarded. We should have known something like this would happen.” Ric insisted. “That's bullshit. How should we have seen this coming, huh?” the older vampire wanted to know. “And don't forget that it was Jo who wanted to keep him alive. She wanted to do this merge-thing. It was her decision.” he reminded his friend. Had it been up to him, they would have killed Kai weeks ago.

“You don't even want to understand, do you? I couldn't protect her. I promised to protect her and I wasn't there. I failed her.” Ric looked close to tears and Damon had no idea what to do. He wasn't good at comforting people. “Calm down and stop beating yourself up over it. Stop the stupid guilt trip.” he ordered harshly.

Which was obviously the wrong thing to say. “I'm so sorry that I can't just ignore the death of a human being and go back to normal. What do you want me to do? Flip the switch? That's your answer to everything isn't it?” Alaric snapped. The accusation hit a little too close to home and Damon's temper flared. “At least it would be better than crying like a baby!” he shot back.

He probably should have seen it coming. He knew Ric. But still he was taken completely by surprise when the teacher's fist hit him squarely in the face, knocking him down. Ric hadn't held back. He had put his whole, considerable strength behind the punch. Damon could feel blood trickling down his face and was pretty sure that the teacher had broken his nose. “Damn it, Ric!” he cursed, but the teacher had used the chance to retreat into his flat. Damon heard the door slam and the lock click. Just great.

Maybe it was for the best if he gave Alaric some time to cool off. If he tried to force his way into the flat right now, it would probably end in a fight and even more broken bones. With a grimace he straightened his broken nose and felt it heal. Damn. Ric had had a nasty right hook when he'd been human. Now as a vampire and an original one at that he was even stronger. 

He could hear Ric pacing nervously inside the flat. After one last look at the door he turned away and walked home. How could this evening turn out this bad? They'd had so much fun and then that stupid Lockwood fool had to go and fuck it all up. And Damon had to suffer for his stupidity. It wasn't fair. 

And it only got worse, because Stefan, Caroline and a sobbing Elena were already waiting for him at the boarding house. “So it is really true? Jo is dead?” the brunette asked in a small voice. “Yep, looks like it.” Damon answered, pushing past her to get himself a drink. “How can you be so indifferent? Jo is dead!” Elena shouted at him. Damon emptied his glass in one gulp and slammed it down onto the table. “Because I'm a heartless asshole. That's the answer you want to hear, isn't it? That's what you all think of me!”

Elena choked on a sob and ran out. Caroline glared at Damon before following her. Stefan on the other hand approached his brother with a worried look. “What happened? Your face is covered in blood.” The older Salvatore wiped his face carelessly with the sleeve of his shirt. “Ric broke my nose.” he admitted grimly. His anger had deflated again and he felt more tired than anything else.

“You had a fight?” Stefan prodded hesitantly. “He was behaving like a fool. Felt responsible for Jo's death and was whining.” Damon grumbled. “He's a very young vampire. He can't control his feelings all that well, yet. And.. his emotions are heightened. You know how it is. You know him better than anyone else. It... can't be easy for him.” his brother guessed.

Of course he was right. Of course it wasn't easy. Ric had always blamed himself when someone had gotten hurt and he hadn't been able to prevent it. But that didn't make it any easier for Damon to handle him. “Just.. have a little patience and show some understanding.” Stefan suggested, before leaving him alone. The older Salvatore sighed deeply and filled his glass again. Patience and understanding. That was easier said than done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about Jo. I liked her. I did. But I loved Luke and I couldn't let him die. I also couldn't kill Liv, because it would break Luke's heart. And since every good story needs an evil villain, I couldn't kill Kai. That only left Jo.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got the new chapter done early and thought I'd post it straight away. No Dalaric this time. Sorry. They're two stubborn bastards, you know? But I promise a Damon-centric chapter next.

Stefan dropped onto the couch with a heavy sigh and rubbed his tired eyes. The last few days had been very taxing. The fight between Damon and Alaric still had him worried. Instead of talking it out like adults, they were avoiding each other. As far as Stefan knew, Alaric hadn't left his flat since Jo's death and also didn't allow anyone inside. Damon had locked himself into his bedroom, where he spent all day drinking.

And if that wasn't bad enough, Stefan had to try and comfort Elena, who was devastated over Jo's death and angry at Damon and Alaric both. Jo hadn't only been the brunette's mentor, but also a good friend. Not even Stefan had known how much time they had spent together in the last few weeks. Elena had felt grateful towards the witch for being human again and for helping her with Liam. And she had looked up to her.

Stefan had tried to explain that neither Damon nor Alaric were to blame for Jo's death, since it had been in fact Tyler, who had helped Kai escape. But he only succeeded in making Elena mad at Tyler as well.

The younger Salvatore looked up in annoyance when someone entered the house. He really didn't want to be disturbed right now. He just wanted to sit here in peace for a few hours. With a sigh he spotted Caroline entering the library. While he was glad they were back to being friends, he really felt no desire to help her again. Yesterday they had spent almost two hours picking flowers for Jo's funeral. Not to forget the three hours the day before, trying to find the perfect coffin.

Still he forced a smile to his face and asked if she needed his help again. “No, everything's taken care of, I think. Matt and Tyler are talking to the Pastor and Enzo is going to make sure everything goes smoothly with the undertaker.” the blonde replied. So she had really enlisted Enzo's help again. Stefan was surprised that the dark-haired vampire still jumped so readily whenever she called. He had been sure Enzo would get bored and lose interest in Caroline soon.

“Tell me again why you are organizing Jo's funeral.” the younger Salvatore asked. “Because Liv and Luke are hiding from their crazy older brother and Tyler promised his girlfriend to take care of everything. Can you imagine that? Tyler Lockwood organizing anything? Seriously? Of course not. Once he realized that he had no idea what to do, he called me and asked for my help.”

Well, that did sound like Tyler. And when it came to organizing something, Caroline was your best address. Whether it was a party of some kind or a funeral didn't matter. “Have you heard from Liv and Luke?” he wanted to know. “Not really. Liv called Tyler, but only once. Like I said, they're in hiding. It sounded like a complicated spell. Kai is going to kill them if he finds them. I can't even imagine what they are going through right now.”

The blonde took a seat next to him and suddenly cocked her head to the side, like she was listening to something. “Is Damon talking to himself up there?” Stefan had been ignoring the muttering of his older brother up to now. He had gotten used to it over the last few days. “No, he's talking to Bonnie's teddy bear.” he let Caroline know. Not that it was any better than talking to himself. “He's getting drunk in his room and talking to Miss Cuddles? Aren't you going to do something? That sounds bad. Even for his standards.”

“And what do you want me to do? I tried talking to him, but he won't even listen. And to tell you the truth, I'm glad he's only talking to stuffed animals. Usually he's running rampant and killing innocent people, whenever something's bothering him. And I don't even know what is actually bothering him.”Stefan admitted. Caroline rolled her eyes. “Don't be stupid, Stefan. It's not complicated. He had a fight with Alaric. He's heartbroken and lovesick.”

“Oh don't start that again.” the younger Salvatore snapped. “Okay, so maybe they had an affair or whatever. But Damon isn't feeling lovesick just because Ric punched him in the face.” Just saying it aloud was simply ridiculous. “You're going to see that I'm right.” Caroline insisted. And before Stefan really knew what she was doing, she had gotten up and went upstairs. Seconds later he could hear her knocking on Damon's bedroom door.

“Damon, stop acting like a child and open the damn door.” she ordered. For a few seconds everything was quiet. Then Damon shouted: “Fuck off, Barbie!” The blonde shook her head and heaved a resigned sigh. Why did men have to be so dense? “Getting drunk and talking to Miss Cuddles won't solve your problems.” she stated the obvious. Which got a reaction out of the dark-haired vampire. She could hear him stumbling around – a clear sign that he was really drunk – and then the door was ripped open and he threw the bear at her. “Fuck off, Barbie! I don't need advice. And certainly not from you!” Damon snapped, before slamming the door shut again.

Caroline admitted defeat. There was just no getting through to him when he was like this. “Alright, forget it, then. But Jo's funeral is tomorrow morning at 10:00. You owe it to her to be there. And you'll better be sober. If you don't show up I'll come and drag you there myself. And if I have to pump you full of vervain to do so.” she threatened. Damon's only answer was a curse, but she was sure he would be there. He knew better than to mess with her.

So she went back downstairs, where Stefan was still sitting on the couch. “I haven't seen Miss Cuddles in 12 years.” the blonde murmured, putting the bear onto the table. It looked like it was staring at her. “Well, that's the bear Bonnie sent back from 1994. I guess she lost the   
original.” Stefan said with a shrug. “She didn't lose her. I took her. You know, when Bonnie and I were little, we got in this huge fight. So to get back at her, I bear-napped Miss Cuddles and then I buried her in the woods, so my mom wouldn't find out. I even left some M&M's to mark the spot   
where I left her, but something must have eaten them.” Caroline confessed, feeling incredibly stupid.

She hadn't thought of that in years. Miss Cuddles seemed to give her a scolding look. And suddenly the blonde got an idea. “You know what? I'm gonna go find her.” Stefan gave her a puzzled look. “Who?” he asked dumbly. “Miss Cuddles, of course.” she explained, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You want to find the bear? But... why?” the younger Salvatore seemed to think she had lost her mind. And maybe she had.

But she just couldn't sit around idly and do nothing. It was all too much. Bonnie was still stuck in some weird, parallel universe, Damon and Alaric were fighting, Elena was angry at everyone and everything and Tyler was slinking around like a dog with its tail between its legs (no pun intended). And then there was Enzo, who was so obviously flirting with her and always there when she needed him and she still had no idea what to do with him.

“I just need to do something. I can't fix that thing with Damon and Alaric. I can't comfort Elena. I can't help Bonnie. And it's driving me mad. But I can find Miss Cuddles.” she tried to explain. “So, are you coming or what?” Stefan still looked doubtful, but when he heard the splintering of glass upstairs he quickly nodded. “Yeah, still better than sitting here and listening to my brother having a mental break-down.” he mumbled, but couldn’t help adding: “But only if Enzo isn't tagging along as well.”

“You really despise him, don't you?” Caroline asked with a sigh. “Yes, I do. And I don't understand what you see in him.” the younger Salvatore admitted, following her outside to her car. “He's not so bad once you get to know him.” she claimed. “He kills for the fun of it. He doesn't care about anyone or anything. He turned my girlfriend into a vampire to get back at me.” Stefan reminded. “He cares about me. He turned Ivy because I've been crying my eyes out over you. Did you know that?” the blonde asked quietly.

No, he hadn't known. He had been a total dick and being reminded of it was like a slap in the face. He should be glad that Caroline had finally forgiven him. “I'm so sorry for hurting you like that, Caroline. You have to believe me. But that is no excuse for his behavior.” It would have been enough to snap his neck, wouldn't it? He didn't need to drag Ivy into this. “I know. And I'm not trying to find excuses for him. But if you're completely honest you'll have to admit that his behavior reminds you of someone.” Of course he knew what she was hinting at. “Damon changed for the better.”

“And Enzo can change as well. He just needs a chance.” Stefan didn't know what to say. Maybe she was right. But on the other hand Enzo was crazy. A lot crazier than Damon had ever been. But arguing about that with Caroline would get him nowhere. “I don't trust him.” he couldn't refrain from saying. “I know. I don't trust him either.” the blonde admitted and he looked at her in surprise. “I'm not stupid, Stefan. But I'm willing to give him a chance. And that's all I ask of you as well.” Stefan nodded hesitantly. “I'll try.”

***

They drove to a nearby forest and Stefan was surprised to find Elena waiting for them. He had noticed Caroline sending a text earlier, but he had thought she was giving further instructions for the funeral and hadn't asked. “Okay, why did you want me to come here, Caroline?” the brunette asked. “We're trying to find Miss Cuddles and you're going to help us.” Caroline explained, like it was obvious.

“I don't understand.” Elena admitted, but Caroline had already gotten a shovel out of her trunk and was marching off into the woods. “She stole Miss Cuddles when she was a kid and buried her in the woods.” Stefan explained while they followed the blonde. “And why are we looking for the bear now?” Elena asked, still not understanding anything. “Because it gives us a reason to go out and think about something else than the whole drama surrounding us.” Caroline answered. She had obviously listened in on their talk, despite the fact that she was a few steps ahead of them. Stefan shrugged.

They followed the blonde through the woods for a few minutes, until she finally stopped. “I think it must have been around here somewhere.” she murmured thoughtfully. “Start looking over there.” Stefan obediently started looking around, even though he had no idea what he was even looking for. How should they find the damn bear after so many years? Elena on the other hand simply crossed her arms over her chest and declared: “This is stupid.” 

The younger Salvatore was afraid they would start a fight now, but Caroline's reaction surprised him. “Yes, maybe it is. But look at it like this: If we manage to find Miss Cuddles it's a small victory for us. We need that right now. And it's good for us to stop sitting around and moping about all the things that went wrong lately.” The brunette was still not convinced. “I don't understand what good it'll do. Even if we find the stupid bear, it won't change anything.” She looked to Stefan for help, but he quickly turned away and stared at the forest floor a few feet away. He would not let himself get drawn into their argument.

“Fine, if you want to go back to our dorm room and continue to cry into your pillow, then go.” Caroline snapped. “But that won't change anything either. No matter what you do, Jo won't come back. She's dead, Elena. And that’s awful. And no-one will miss her as much as you. I know that. I get it. But do you really think she would have wanted you to mope around and pity yourself? Or try to find someone to blame?” the blonde asked. “I don't pity myself. And I think I know more about grief than any of you!” Elena shot back.

“Yes, you do. You've lost too many people you cared about. And you never handled it well. And I never knew how to comfort you. But still I try every time. Because you're my friend and I hate seeing you like this. So please, let me try to help you.” Caroline asked. Elena swallowed hard. Tears were pooling in her eyes. “Okay. If you really think finding that stupid bear will help...” she finally gave in. “Well it can't hurt, can it?” the blonde said cheerfully.

So Elena and Stefan spent the next 20 minutes or so watching with growing amusement while Caroline dug holes here and there, all the while muttering to herself. “You could help me, you know.” the blonde complained when she noticed them grinning at her antics. “I'm not big on digging. Calluses, you know?” Stefan claimed, holding up his hands. “You bury corpses all the time.” Caroline reminded him. “Yeah, but I don't dig them up.” the younger Salvatore shot back, making Elena laugh. 

“Hey. Is that an M&M?” the brunette asked suddenly. “What? Where?” Caroline looked around frantically and the other two started laughing. “Hilarious.” the blonde grumbled. “Well, we are in the middle of the woods, searching for a Teddy bear buried by a 9-year-old version of you.” Elena reminded, still giggling. And somehow Caroline couldn't really be mad at her. It was nice to hear her laugh for a change. Elena was sad way too often.

“Glad at least you're having fun.” she muttered and continued digging. Without success. What had she been expecting? “You know what. Maybe you're right. Let's go home. It was a stupid idea after all.” she finally gave up. “Hey, what's that?” Stefan asked, pointing to a spot a few feet away. “Yeah, nice try. But I won't fall for that twice.” Caroline said, rolling her eyes. “No. I'm serious. Is that an ear?” the older vampire insisted. Elena went over to the spot he was pointing at and dropped down to her knees. “He's right. It is an ear. I think we found her.”

The blonde rushed over and they dug the bear up together. But when Elena pulled it out the head ripped off. For a second all three of them stared at each other. Then they broke into laughter simultaneously. “Doesn't matter. I'll sew it back on. She'll be as good as new.” Elena decided, after having calmed down somewhat. “Sounds good. Nice training for a future doctor.” the blonde agreed.

Elena smiled and hugged her. “Thanks, Care. You were right. That felt good.” she admitted. Caroline returned the hug and gave Stefan a triumphant look. That hadn't been so hard after all. And next she would take care of the little problem with Damon and Alaric. The others might not care that everything was falling into ruins around them, so it was up to her to make things right. And she would make things right.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A funeral and lots of talking.

Damon put on his jacket and straightened his tie, before taking a last look into the mirror. Okay, didn't look half bad. And he was even sober. For the first time in days. Even if he hated admitting it, vampire Barbie had been right. He owed it to Jo to show up at her funeral. And he was sure the blonde would make good on her threat and drag him there by force if he didn't go willingly. Also he was sure Ric would be there. Maybe he had finally cooled off and they could make up. He missed his best friend terribly. More than he had ever thought possible.

Taking one last, deep breath he left his room and stepped out into the hallway, where he nearly collided with someone. “Enzo, what are you doing here?” he asked in surprise. He hadn't seen the guy in days and he also hadn't called. He noticed that Enzo was wearing a black suit as well. “Caroline sent me to make sure you show up at the funeral. Sober if possible.” he explained with a smirk. Damon rolled his eyes. “Great. Are you her errand boy now?”

Enzo followed him downstairs. “I'm merely doing a beautiful woman a favor and picking up my old mate. What's wrong with that?” he wanted to know. “Blondie is making you do stuff all the time lately. I know that, because my brother keeps complaining about it.” the older Salvatore replied. “I would've thought you had gotten her into bed by now.” Enzo was Barbie's type after all and since Stefan hadn't shown any interest...

“That's not what this is about. I'm just being nice and helpful.” the younger vampire defended himself. Damon stopped at the front door and gave him a critical look. If he didn't know any better... “Fuck, you're in love with her.” Enzo seemed about to protest, but then he sighed in defeat and admitted: “I guess you're right.” Damon was surprised to hear this. Of course he had known that his friend liked the blonde. She was pretty hot, he had to admit. But love...

On the other hand he probably could have guessed. Enzo had been pining for his Maggie for decades. He had searched for her after finally escaping the Augustine prison, even though he'd known that she would be an old woman by now. Despite the fact that he flirted shamelessly with every half decent looking girl, he was a big romantic at heart and always searching for the one true love.

It was one of the things they had in common. Damon had waited for Katherine for over a century and after realizing that she had never really loved him he had started searching for someone who could love him unconditionally. For a time he had thought he might have found that someone in Elena. He had been wrong, but that didn't mean he would stop searching. Lately he even thought that maybe… but no, that was stupid. Shaking off the thought he turned back to his friend.

“Oh well, good luck, buddy.” he muttered finally. “Good luck? That's it?” Enzo asked. Damon opened the door and went to his car, so the younger vampire had no choice but to follow him and get into the passenger seat. “What do you want me to say? Caroline is disgustingly perfect. And since my brother never wanted his chance, you're free to try your luck.” the older Salvatore mused. “She is perfect, isn't she? Beautiful, clever, fiery...” Enzo gushed. “Yeah, if you want me to puke, just keep going.” Damon snarked. 

“Why are you so pissed? Caroline told me you've been locking yourself in your room for days, getting drunk and talking to a teddy bear. Should I be worried?” Okay, not one of his best moments. But talking to Miss Cuddles was a little like talking to Bonnie. He would've never thought he would miss the little witch this much. But in those four month spent together in the prison-world she had become his friend. Someone he could confide in, without having to fear being mocked. He missed her quiet support and her clever advice.

“Blondie is exaggerating. I'm just... a little stressed.” he mumbled. Enzo might be his best friend, aside from Alaric and now probably Bonnie, but he didn't need to know everything. “Trouble with Elena? I thought you were glad about the break-up.” Enzo prodded. “I am glad. I don't want her back. Really, she's so annoying with her superiority and her fucking humanity and all that crap.” Damon grumbled. How had he put up with her this long? She was grating on his nerves like mad. No wonder they had fought so often. They were just too different. And the make-up sex had never been as good as it was with Ric.

“Okay, I guess there's someone else then?” his friend supposed. “No.. maybe.. That's … complicated.” the older vampire muttered. “And I don't want to talk about it, okay? Doesn't matter who set you on my heels.” Enzo glanced at him with a wry smile. “That obvious?” Damon gave an annoyed sigh. “Who was it? My baby brother? Vampire Barbie? Maybe even Elena?” But no, Elena hated Enzo. Stefan didn't like him either. So that left... “Caroline asked me to talk to you. She was worried and thought you might confide in me.” Enzo admitted.

Just great, Barbie was worried. “Tell her I don't need a therapist. And to keep her nose out of my business.” Damon ordered. It was bad enough that Stefan kept slinking around, asking stupid questions or trying to give him advice. He didn't need Enzo on his heels as well. “I'll let her know. And I will tell her that in my opinion you are your usual, charming self.” Enzo joked, making Damon smile. “But.. if you want my opinion...”

No, Damon didn't want his opinion, but that didn't stop Enzo from telling him anyways: “If you think it might end like that thing with Elena, then hands off. You don't need more drama. But if you think she might be the one, then don't let her go. No matter the cost.”

***

There were a lot of people attending the funeral. Most of Jo's colleagues and students had come to say goodbye. Damon didn't even know how they had officially explained her death. He didn't really care, truth be told. But he had to admit that Blondie had outdone herself once more. Everything was perfect and the whole thing went smoothly. 

The dark-haired vampire hung back and watched the people walking up to the open casket to say their last goodbye, before taking a seat in the church. Finally the pastor said a few words, but Damon didn't listen. Jo's boss praised her good work and Elena, as well as a few other students shared some of their memories of her. Caroline sang a haunting song, that made goosebumps rise on Damon's skin and caused Enzo to stare at her like she was an angel fallen down from heaven.

After the funeral service the casket was closed and carried to the graveyard, where the pastor spoke a few words again, before Jo was put to her final rest. Once again Damon hung back and watched. Liv and Luke had left their hiding place and were now standing in the front row. A few silent tears were running down Liv's cheeks, while she clung to her brother and Tyler in equal measure. The former werewolf was staring at the floor, obviously still feeling guilty.

Caroline was standing between Stefan and Enzo with a somber expression. Next to them Elena was sobbing into Liam's shoulder. A few other students were crying as well. Even Matt and Jeremy had come, but they were standing to the side, looking out of place. Alaric was standing alone, separated from the others. His face had the same, stony expression it had had back at Jenna's funeral. Damon hated seeing that look. He didn't know much about the relationship between Jo and Ric. After the teacher's insistence that he wasn't interested in her they had never talked about it anymore. And after Damon had made sure that she caught them making out she had pretty much kept her distance. At least as far as he knew.

The whole thing seemed to take ages. Finally Caroline asked everyone to follow her into the bar, where Liv worked, for a drink. Slowly the people did as told. Damon cast one last look at the grave, before following Blondie as well.

***

About an hour later the party was in full swing. Everyone was drinking, talking and laughing. That it was actually a funeral seemed to have slipped their minds and Caroline kept complaining about rude and inappropriate behavior. But she declined when Enzo offered compelling everyone to behave accordingly.

Damon crept away when no-one was looking and returned to the graveyard. He wasn't surprised to find someone kneeling next to the grave. He had expected to find him here. Had counted on it, really. He knew that they needed to talk it out like adults. Still didn’t mean he knew what to say.Slowly he walked over to his best friend and stopped right next to him. “You're still blaming yourself, huh?” he asked hesitantly. “I promised to protect her. And I failed.” Alaric whispered.

“There was nothing you could have done. It was her decision to keep Kai alive and do the merge. No-one forced her.” the older vampire reminded. “But she wasn't ready. She would have needed more time.” Ric insisted. “That wouldn't have changed anything. We both know that she never stood a chance. No matter how long we would have kept Kai sedated. He was stronger than her. We always knew that. And I think she knew it too. She wasn't dumb. She knew that she couldn't win.”

Alaric looked up at Damon. “But why did she do it then?” he asked uncomprehendingly. “So Liv and Luke wouldn't have to. She was a fucking martyr, Ric. She sacrificed herself for her siblings. And no-one could have stopped her. Not even you.” the dark-haired vampire said quietly. Ric averted his eyes, nodded slowly. 

“Logically I know that you're right. I know I couldn't have saved her. But there's this... overwhelming guilt, because I couldn't protect her. This helpless feeling. I can't shake it. It's the same feeling I had back when Jenna died. Only a thousand times worse. And I … I loved Jenna. While Jo was just... I don't even know what she was. A friend maybe? An acquaintance? I just don't know.” he whispered.

Damon dropped to his knees next to him and waited until Ric looked at him again. “That's because you're a vampire. Everything you feel is heightened. Every emotion. You always wanted to protect and save everyone and you were devastated when you couldn't. That's your fucking hero complex, multiplied by a thousand thanks to vampirism.” Alaric snorted. “Well, it sucks.” The older vampire couldn't suppress a smirk at that. “Yeah, it does.” he agreed. “But like everything else about being a vampire it's something you'll get used to. Don't let it overwhelm you. Fight against it, okay?”

“Okay.” the teacher muttered after a while, taking a deep breath. “And sorry for the punch.” he added a little awkwardly. Damon grinned. “Don't worry about it. Wasn't the first time. And I guess I kinda deserved it.” he admitted, getting up and holding his hand out to his friend. “Come home with me. We could get drunk.” Alaric hesitated for a second. But then he nodded, took his hand and allowed Damon to help him up. When the older vampire tried to let go of his hand, he was suddenly pulled forward into Ric's arms. “Thanks, Damon.” A little surprised he returned the hug, closed his eyes for a second and just enjoyed Alaric's closeness.

A few minutes later they left the graveyard, walking close to each other, their shoulders touching. Neither of them noticed Caroline watching them from behind a tree with a satisfied smile.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go back to normal. Sort of. Then Damon and Alaric make a deal with the devil.

Alaric closed the door of the boarding house behind himself, threw his bag into a corner and leaned against the nearest wall for a moment. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, before pushing away from the wall and going in search of Damon. It had been a stressful day at work. The students had all been grating on his nerves and every time he passed the picture of Jo, that had been put up in the hallway to honor her memory, the guilt came back full force. It was getting easier to push it aside, but he still didn't like it. The whispering in the hallways also served to remind him of the doctor, who had been a friend somehow.

Officially Jo had been shot by some psychopath, while trying to save an innocent girl from his clutches. Ric wondered who had come up with this stupid cover-story. Probably Elena, wanting to give her mentor a heroes death. Luckily the brunette had been in better shape today. But losing Jo was still hard for her. The doctor had been a good friend for her and also someone she had confided in. After all Jo had been an adult with experience in the supernatural world. Not something you came across so easily.

Now, a few days after the funeral everything was pretty much back to normal. Even Alaric's life, although he had no idea what he even considered normal anymore. Damon had moved back into the boarding house, but he had spent last night at Ric's flat. In Ric's bed. They had talked a little and gotten over their fight. Things had returned to the way they had been before, with them being still friends and not quite lovers. Or whatever. He didn't really want to think about it too much. Their research had gotten them nowhere so far and slowly both were starting to realize that they wouldn't find what they were looking for in any of the books. Even if neither felt brave enough to say it aloud yet, they both knew that they would be forced to give up soon.

In the end Alaric found the dark-haired vampire in the kitchen, where he was glaring at a few plates with cupcakes and cookies. “Am I interrupting something here?” the teacher asked in amusement. Damon rolled his eyes. “Blondie made those and brought them here. She and Elena had the wonderful idea to celebrate Bonnie's birthday tomorrow.” he explained. “Bonnie's birthday is tomorrow?” Alaric hadn't noticed time going by so quickly. “Yep. In my opinion it's pretty depressing to celebrate when we know the guest of honor can't be there. But you know those two...”

Ric eyed the cupcakes thoughtfully. “Will Caroline notice if one is missing? I'm starving.” And the cupcakes looked really tasty. “I'm sure she counted them. But she's probably going to bake a ton more. And if she gets mad, we just tell her it was Stefan.” Damon decided. He winked at Ric and held a cupcake out to him. The teacher grinned and bit into the offered sweet. “Mmhh, tasty.” he mumbled. “Yeah? You got something right there.” Ric was about to wipe his mouth with his hand, but Damon had already leaned in and cleaned the bit away with his tongue.

Of course Ric didn't think twice about it and used the position to kiss his friend. “I thought you were hungry.” the older vampire reminded, once they had pulled back. Ric murmured in agreement and leaned in for another kiss, pressing Damon against the table in the process. But then he heard the front door slam shut and pulled back reluctantly. Who the hell was disturbing them now? And why could they never get any peace and quiet around here?

“Hello?” they suddenly heard a voice that made them freeze. “No..” Ric whispered in dismay. “It can't be. He's back in Portland.” Damon agreed. But only seconds later Kai rounded the corner. “Ah, there you are. Am I interrupting something? Oh, cupcakes. I love cupcakes. What are we celebrating?” Without asking he took a cupcake from the plate. “What the hell do you want?” Damon snapped at him. Kai kept munching his sweet. “I need your help, believe it or not. So, what are we celebrating?” 

“Okay, A: We are celebrating Bonnie's birthday. B: You are not invited. And C: If you really think we're going to help you, you're even crazier than you look.” the dark-haired vampire snarked. Kai didn't look impressed. “Bonnie's birthday. Ouch, that's tough. … But anyways, like I said I need your help. I really need to find my siblings. I tried a locator spell, but it didn't work. Guess they're getting better at hide and seek.”

“Why should we help you find Liv and Luke?” Alaric wanted to know. “Well, I'm a sociopath. I know. Shocker. I like being a sociopath. You know, I'm not burdened by things like guilt or love. But ever since I merged with my sister, I can't stop thinking about how she died, how Liv and Luke's lives are ruined. For some horrible reason, I can't shake how badly I feel about it. And that is totally frustrating, you know?” Kai explained. “You feel bad?” Alaric repeated doubtfully.

“Yes. So when I absorbed Jo' magic, I must have gotten some of her qualities or something like empathy. I can't stop thinking about her and I'm crying my eyes out and stuff. So I googled how to process emotional pain and I think I need to find my siblings and apologize. Or something like that. And since they obviously went into hiding, you will find them for me.” the warlock ended.

“Yeah and my answer is: Get lost!” Damon snapped. Who did the guy think he was, asking them for help? He was completely mental. But he was also very persistent. “I can't. I need to get rid of these stupid feelings. They're totally ruining my life.” he whined. “I don't get care. Get the fuck out of my house!” the dark-haired vampire insisted. “You know, I feel guilty for the things I did to Bonnie as well.” Kai babbled on. “Leaving her there and all that. I even tried to mend the ascendant, you know? But I really did a number it.” he grinned, but sobered instantly. “Looking back that wasn't such a good idea, I guess.”

Both vampires were more than a little annoyed by now. “If there is something important you want to tell us, speak now. If not, get lost.” Alaric demanded. “Well, a part of the ascendant is still whole. Somewhat. And I'm super powerful. So I think we could send a message to Bonnie. I guess. I've been thinking about doing that, you know? What should I send? Sorry for tricking you and leaving you stuck in my prison-world? Or I could just say happy birthday...”

“Wait a second, you can send her a message? Are you sure?” Damon prodded. “Hey, I'm the all powerful leader of the Gemini-coven. Of course I'm sure. Pretty sure. I think.” Alaric gave his friend a doubtful look. “What are you planning?” But Damon was already pondering his options. “You need to send her a message from us.” he decided. “Sure. If you tell me where my siblings are.” Kai demanded. “Just send the damn message and we'll see what we can do. Or get lost and no-one is going to help you.”

Kai looked thoughtful. “You know, that's so frustrating. I would really love to rip out your tongue right now. But some other part of me insists that it would be wrong. Must be Jo. Although I think she didn't like you much.” he babbled. “What's it going to be?” Alaric grumbled. The warlock was grating on his nerves and it took a lot of willpower not to attack him and rip out his throat. “Alright. I'll go and get the ascendant and we'll send your message.” the warlock finally agreed.

***

“Okay, what's your plan?” Alaric asked once Kai was gone. “We can't help Bonnie from here. That much we know. She can only help herself now. But she needs magic to get out of there. So let's tell her where to find some.” Damon explained. It was a great idea. “Do you know where?” Ric asked excitedly. The dark-haired vampire looked thoughtful. “The old house, where the witches got burned, remember? Bonnie absorbed their magic back when we tried to kill Klaus. But in the prison-world everything exists that had already existed in 1994. So the magic should still be there, right?”

“I guess so. And she absorbed that magic once already. She should be able to do it again.” Ric agreed. This could work. “But that means we'll have to stick to our part of the deal.” Damon reminded him. “Do you believe him? Do you really believe he wants to apologize?” The older vampire shrugged. “No idea. Guess the wonder twins might know what happens after the merge and if it is possible.”

“Okay, let's ask them.” Alaric decided, pulling out his phone and dialing Liv's number. He couldn't even remember why he had her number saved. And he wasn't sure if she would answer. But she did. “If you need help again you're out of luck. We need all of our energy to keep the cloaking spell up.” she snapped.

“Your brother was just here. He claims that he got parts of Jo's personality when he merged with her. Is that possible?” the teacher asked. He could hear the witch talking to her twin, before switching to speaker phone. “According to our father it is possible. The twins merge into one person. One takes on the attributes of the other.” Luke explained. “Okay. Kai claims he wants to apologize. He wants us to find you.” Ric let them know.

“He's going to kill us.” Liv argued. “He can help us get Bonnie back. With her help we could beat him.” Alaric started, but the witch interrupted him. “If Kai dies, we die with him.” she sounded resigned. “No one said anything about killing him.” Damon chimed in. “There must be some other way to get rid of him.” And if there was, Bonnie would find it. “Just think about it. Kai is here in Mystic Falls. He won't leave anytime soon. Do you want to run away from him for the rest of your lives? Do you want to live in fear of him finding you? Or would you rather face him right now?” Ric asked, before hanging up.

“Nice touch.” Damon praised him with a grin. “Do you think they'll come back?” The teacher shrugged. “No idea. But I can understand that they're scared. Kai is crazy.” Even if he really had Jo's empathy now, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't kill his siblings. There was still enough of his own personality left. In other words, he was still a freaking psychopath. It would be a gamble.

Kai's return set their musings an end. “Here's the ascendant. Like I promised.” he held up the shattered, burned and poorly put back together ascendant. “And your part of the deal?” he wanted to know. “They fled out of town. But they're on their way back. They should be here in a few days.” Damon claimed. Kai looked suspicious. “That easy? I don't believe you. You're trying to trick me.” Okay, unfortunately he wasn't dumb. “No, but we tricked them. We told them we had managed to send you back to your prison-world with the help of your father and another witch and they had nothing to fear.” Alaric lied.

Kai looked at him critically, but the teacher stared right back and didn't even blink. Finally the warlock grinned. “Nice. I knew it was a good idea to come to you. I'm almost impressed.” he complimented. Still grinning he picked up a piece of paper and looked at them expectantly. “So, what kind of message should we send Bonnie? Happy birthday? We miss you?” he suggested. Damon took the paper and wrote a short message. “Remember the house where the witches got burnt.” Kai read aloud, giving them a critical look. “Not nice.” he muttered. “It's a .. shared memory. She'll know what I'm trying to tell her.” the dark-haired vampire claimed. He thought it would be better not to tell Kai the truth about what Bonnie would find there.

Like expected Kai shrugged. “Sure, whatever. What do I care.” He took the ascendant into one hand, crumbled the paper into the other, closed his eyes and started chanting. “Phesmatos tribum invocio caveum, miscero mundio.” Both vampires watched him closely, while he repeated the words over and over. It seemed to go on forever. Finally he shut up and opened his eyes. “Did it work?” Damon wanted to know. “I guess so.” the warlock replied, holding up his left hand. The paper had disappeared. “What do you mean, you guess so? Did it work or not, Kai!” Damon snapped at him. “Okay, fine. Yes, it worked. Satisfied?”

He didn't sound convinced himself, but they had no choice but to trust that Bonnie had gotten their message. They had done all they could. Now she had to save herself. And Damon hoped with all his might that she would succeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if that thing with the witch-house works. On the other hand - why shouldn't it? And I didn't want to send Bonnie to Silas' Island. No cure in this Story!


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter this time and not much Dalaric. Sorry. There will be more Dalaric-action in the next one. Promise.

“No, Stefan. Put the banner higher. Enzo, I told you to set up the buffet and not eat everything!” Caroline scolded. This was madness. Bonnie's birthday party was supposed to start in less than an hour and they weren't even done with decorating. Stefan and Enzo were no help at all, but unfortunately the only help she had right now. Matt was at work, Tyler nowhere to be found, Elena had sent her a text to let her know that she had to discuss something with Jeremy and would be late and Damon had left almost two hours ago under the pretense of picking Alaric up from work.

“Okay, change of plan. I'll set up the buffet and you can put up some balloons over there.” she decided when she spied Enzo munching on yet another cookie. “As you wish, gorgeous.” he grinned, before stealing another cookie. Caroline rolled her eyes and hit him on the shoulder, but he only laughed at her. “Does it hang right now?” Stefan asked from his position on the ladder. The blonde looked at the banner spelling “Happy birthday Bonnie” and sighed in defeat. It was still not perfect, but it probably wouldn't get better than this. “Yeah, fine.”

She gave Stefan strict instructions about the music, before starting to place cookies, cupcakes and little sandwiches onto the table. Enzo was finished with the balloons (not that it looked perfect – far from it in fact) and came edging towards her again. “You can set up the bar. I want cocktails with little umbrellas. Bonnie loves little umbrellas.” Caroline instructed. He smirked and went to work. 

And she was once again surprised at the fact that he allowed her to boss him around like this. Enzo never complained, no matter what she asked him to do. He was always there when she needed him, whether it was to help her organize a party or to have a talk with Damon. She didn't really understand it, but she also didn't dare to question his motives. It would mean taking a closer look at her own feelings and she still didn't know what she actually felt for him.

Finally Elena and Jeremy arrived, even though Jeremy disappeared into the kitchen, instead of helping. “What's wrong?” Caroline asked. “I found his application for art school in the trash.” Elena muttered. “Jeremy wants to go to art school?” the blonde asked in surprise. “He would love to go. I'm sure of it. But he thinks he doesn't stand a chance because of his bad grades. And he doesn't want to leave as long as Bonnie isn't back. So he didn't even apply.”

“But you want him to go?” Caroline guessed. “Yes, I do. He would be far away from all the supernatural crap around here. He would be safe and doing something he loves.” the brunette said. “Well, then we'll just have to make him see sense.” Caroline decided. “And if they don't want to admit him to the school, one of us vampires can help.” Getting Jeremy a spot at art school would be easy. If push came to shove Caroline would drive there herself and compel whoever she needed to.

“I'll try to talk to him again. Or even better, I'll ask Ric to talk to him. Maybe Jer will listen to him. He has always looked up to Ric.” Elena mused. “Good idea. You can ask him if he ever does show up here.” Really, what the hell was taking him and Damon so long? They had better be here in time for the party. Caroline was really glad that the two men had made up, but that didn't mean they were allowed to skip the party to have sex somewhere.

As if on cue she finally heard Damon's camaro pulling into the driveway. About time. When Damon and Alaric entered the house, Caroline was already waiting for them in the hallway. Giving them a reproachful look she demanded: “Where the hell have you been?” “Sorry, I had some paperwork to finish and wanted to change clothes. And a shower.” the teacher mumbled, avoiding her eyes. The blonde thought she could see him blushing a little. Yeah, paperwork. Sure. She had a good idea of what they had really been doing and why they had needed that shower.

“Okay, whatever. Let's get this party started, then. Stefan, why is there no music?” The younger Salvatore quickly went to the stereo and the first sounds of Bonnie's favorite band filled the room. Caroline took one of the colorful cocktails Enzo had produced. “Let's drink to Bonnie.” she decided. The others followed her example, but only Elena got herself a cocktail. The guys stuck with beer and bourbon.

After a few toasts to the witch everyone sat down or took a few snacks from the buffet. Despite Caroline's best intentions the atmosphere was rather depressing. She almost felt Bonnie's absence like a physical pain.

The blonde overheard Elena talking to Alaric, while Damon joked about Jeremy's lack of talent. Caroline's mom had arrived as well and was now talking to Stefan. And all of a sudden she felt like she couldn't breathe. She needed to get away. Quietly she crept to the back door and sat down on the steps leading out into the garden, staring off into space. Of course it didn't take long until someone followed her.

Caroline expected to see her mother or maybe Stefan, but it was Enzo, who sat down beside her. “Are you that displeased with the party that you had to sneak out?” he joked. But she didn't feel like laughing. Completely overwhelmed by her feelings she felt tears pricking her eyes. A fact that the dark-haired vampire didn't miss. “Caroline? What's wrong?” he asked worriedly. “I just.. miss her so much.” she confessed, choking back a sob.

Enzo scooted closer and put his arm around her shoulders. Grateful for his strong presence she snuggled up to him. “Hey, you'll get her back. Damon and his teacher buddy are working on it. Damon said they have a plan.” he murmured. “Really?” she asked, looking up at him hopefully. “Yeah, really. Would I lie to you, gorgeous?” Enzo asked. No he wouldn't. Once again he was there when she needed him and found the right words to comfort her. How the hell he always did that she had no idea.

“Why are you doing all that? Why are you always helping me?” she asked, without thinking about it. Enzo's eyes found hers and she shuddered at his intense look. “Don't you know?” Yes, she did know. Had known for a while now, truth be told. But she was afraid of admitting it to herself. Afraid of letting him into her heart and getting hurt again. Every man she had let into her heart had ended up breaking it in the end. “Enzo, I can't...” she whispered, but he put his finger to her lips, effectively silencing her.

“You believe in me. You see more than a lost cause or a crazy killer. You see what no-one else does and you stand up for me. That's more than anyone has ever done for me before. I know it's not easy. And I know that there are a lot of things troubling you right now. So don't say anything, okay?” he asked. When she tried to say something he shook his head. “It's okay. Really. I can wait. Believe it or not, but if there is one virtue I have it's patience.” He shot her a boyish grin and she smiled back automatically. “Thank you, Enzo.”

Loud voices from inside broke the moment and made them both look up. “That's Damon. And he sounds pissed.” Enzo noted. They shared a worried look and hurried back inside, where the older Salvatore was trying in vain to get rid of Kai.

“I told you to get lost!” he snapped, but the warlock only grabbed a sandwich. “Why? I like it here. This house is... huge. It was a boarding house once, right? So I'm sure you've got a free room for me. Don't worry. Only for a couple of days. As long as it takes my dear siblings to return. You told me they would be here soon, right?”

“Liv and Luke are far away and they are not coming back.” Elena joined the discussion. “Oh but they are. Damon and Alaric tricked them into coming back.” the warlock claimed. The brunette glanced in her former boyfriend's direction. “You didn't do that, right? He's lying. Please tell me he's lying. You would never help him after everything...” Damon averted his eyes and Ric looked guilty. “Tell me you didn't do it!” Elena begged, but neither said a word. “He's going to kill them!”

“No, I don't think so. At least not both of them.” Kai mused. “Damon might have told you.. Or maybe not, though I wonder why. Weren't you dating once? But right, you were always grating on his nerves. He told me back in the prison-world.” he continued like they were discussing the weather. “Anyways.. when I merged with Jo I must have gotten some of her feelings or stuff like that. And now she's always keeping me from doing fun things, like gouging your eyes out or something like that.”

Elena didn't know what to say. The claim that she had been grating on Damon's nerves made her angry as hell. And to top it off her ex had obviously made some sort of deal with Kai behind her back. Although everyone but Alaric looked shocked at the news, so at least she hadn't been the only one kept in the dark. “And you expect us to believe that you suddenly turned into a nice guy and my brother joined forces with you?” Stefan spoke up.

“I'm not a nice guy. Just more nice than I used to be.” Kai corrected. “But yeah, Damon and I made a deal. And like I said, I won't kill Liv and Luke. Only one of them. Can't have them merging and claiming the throne that is rightfully mine, now can I?”

They were all looking at him like he had lost his mind, talking about killing his siblings like it was nothing. “They won't come back.” Elena claimed. “They would never be so stupid.” But almost as if to contradict her, the front door opened seconds later and the twins stepped into the room. “Hello Kai.”


	29. Chapter 29

Kai grinned at his younger siblings. “Well, well. Looks like Elena was wrong. You are that stupid.” he commented. Luke crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at him. Liv was twirling a lock of her hair nervously. Kai was still grinning. “So, I'm glad you came willingly. Saves me the hassle of having to go looking for you. We all know you were never good at hide and seek.”

“You wanted us to come. Here we are. So say whatever you've got to say.” Luke ordered. “Alright. So first I really want to apologize. I'm sorry for killing Jo and destroying our family and so on. Oh and for trying to kill you when you were four, of course.” Kai said in a monotone voice, clearly indicating his lack of sincerity. 

“Good, that's done. So I guess I should be rid of this stupid guilt now.” he muttered to himself. “On with the program then. You will surely understand that I can't allow you live. I mean, the risk would be too high. You agree with me, right? But I've decided to be generous and kill only one of you. Do you want to decide? Or should we toss a coin?”

“You don't have to kill one of us.” Liv said quietly, but her older brother shook his head. “Now, now Liv. Of course I have to. I can't risk you merging and claiming my place as leader of the coven.” he chided. His voice sounded like he was talking to a little child and there was a crazy glint in his eyes. Elena took a step forward, as if to throw herself between them, but Stefan held her back. The others were watching the scene unfold with growing unease, but remaining motionless.

“No, you don't. We can't merge anymore.” Luke claimed, walking up to his older brother and stopping right in front of him. “I did the same thing Jo did. I gave up my magic. And without magic, I can't merge with Liv.” he explained matter of factly. Kai cocked his head to the side and stared at him. Then he grabbed Luke's shoulder roughly. “Really. I can feel no magic in you.” he murmured in surprise. Luke took off the locket he was wearing and held it out to Kai. “My magic is in here. I'll give it to you. You can keep it save and make sure I can't get it back. So you have no more reason to kill us. We're no danger to you.”

The older warlock took the locket and looked at it critically, but didn't let go of his brother yet. “Yeah, I can feel your magic in here. Hmm, I've got to say, I wasn't expecting this.” he admitted. “But I could still kill you. Just to be on the safe side.” he mused. “No, don't. Please, don't hurt him. We're no threat to you. Kai, please!” Liv begged.

Kai seemed to be at war with himself. His hand tightened on Luke's shoulder and he was mumbling something under his breath. The blond just stood motionless, despite the fact that Kai's grip was hurting him. After a few tense seconds Kai let go of him. “Damn it! I can't do it. Why can't I just kill you? That's Jo. She's ruining everything!” he cursed. “Fine then. I won't kill you. And I'm keeping this. So don't try any funny stuff, understood?” He held up the locket in warning.

“We won't try anything. Promise.” Luke replied, looking him directly in the eye. “Good. Yeah, fine.” Kai muttered, shaking his head and looking around. “This party sucks. I've got better things to do.” he claimed. He took a few cookies and then marched out.

Luke turned to Alaric. “You were right. We can't run from him all our lives.” The teacher looked guilty. “Do you think he's really going to leave you alone?” he asked. He couldn't shake the fear that the twins were endangering their lives because of him. “I think so. As long as he has the locket, we're no threat to him. And we couldn't even harm him if we wanted to. Our lives are bound to his.” the warlock explained. “You gave up your magic. That must be hard.” Ric suspected. Luke might appear strong, but there was an undercurrent of tension in him that hadn't been there before. “It was the only way. And as long as it helps me save my sister's life I'm willing to sacrifice my magic.” he assured.

“I was going to do it. But Luke didn't want me to.” Liv whispered. Her brother put an arm around her shoulders and they turned to leave. “We'll be at our dorms if you need us. Oh and thanks for letting us use your family's lake house to hide, Elena.” The brunette smiled at him. “You can go back there any time.” she offered. “Thanks. But we won't hide from Kai anymore. We've faced worse than him.” Luke said decisively, before looking at Alaric again. “What you said to us on the phone.. if you really find a way, let us know.” he asked. “We will.” the teacher promised and the twins finally left.

“What did you tell them?” Elena snapped, rounding on the teacher as soon as the door had closed behind the twins. “We merely told them that they wouldn't be able to hide forever. That's the truth. And their plan worked, didn't it?” Damon shot back. “Kai is a psychopath! He can change his mind any time and decide to kill them after all.” the brunette claimed. “He can't. He tried to kill Luke earlier and he couldn't.” Alaric chimed in. “He's right, Elena. As long as Kai has the locket with Luke's magic they are safe.” Stefan agreed as well.

“Fine, since you're all so convinced that Kai turned into a nice guy overnight... I don't feel like partying anymore. I'm leaving.” Elena ended the discussion. “Wait, I'm coming with you.” Caroline decided. She shot the others an apologetic look and followed her friend. Liz and Enzo took their leave as well.

“Great. And we're supposed to do the cleaning up, now?” Damon grumbled. “You didn't help with the preparations. It's only fair if you help now.” his brother shot back. The older Salvatore mumbled something under his breath, but started collecting the empty glasses. Alaric decided to use the chance and talk to Jeremy.

The teen had been standing quietly in a corner the whole time. Now he looked at the teacher warily. “Elena told me about art school.” Ric started. “Let me guess: She wants you to talk me into going? I'm wearing vervain, just so you know.” Jeremy snarked. “I would never compel you, Jeremy.” Alaric said quietly, hurt by the teen's accusation. “I just want to talk. You love to draw. And you're good. Why don't you give it a try?”

“My grades are horrible. The only class I'm passing is study hall. They'll never let me in. And I'm not leaving without knowing Bonnie's okay or not.” Jeremy said stubbornly. “Well... we could do something about your grades.” Alaric mumbled. He shouldn't offer this. He was a teacher and the boy's guardian. But he should have been there for Jeremy and he never was. He was a complete failure as a guardian. “And concerning Bonnie... Damon and I are searching for a way to bring her back. We won't give up. But no-one knows how long it will take. Bonnie wouldn't want you to give up everything to wait for her. She would understand it, Jer. She would want you to live your life and be happy. Even without her.”

Jeremy averted his eyes and swallowed hard. “I know.” he whispered finally. “I know what she would want me to do. And I … I was ready to let her go and move on. But back then I still thought she was dead. Now I know she's not and I... I just don't know what to do.” he confessed. “Apply for art school. Live your life. Bonnie got you a second chance. She would want you to use it.” Alaric advised. Jeremy was silent for a long time, but finally he nodded. “Okay.” The teacher clapped him on the shoulder. “Great. Now off with you. Fill out your application.”

Damon popped up next to Ric after the door had closed behind Jeremy. “Might want to compel him a decent portfolio, because he ain't that great.” Ric shook his head with a grin. “What would you know about it? He's good.” The dark-haired vampire looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Okay then Mister art expert. But you'll have to compel the principal. Because that's the only way he'll get his graduation certificate.” He was right about that. “I know.” the teacher sighed. He didn't like it. But it would be best for Jeremy to finally get out of this town. Start a new life far away from all the supernatural drama.

“Great. Now that you've got that cleared up you can help me clean up, right?” Stefan interrupted. “I'll get a few garbage bags and you can start taking down the decorations.” He went into the kitchen and left Alaric and Damon alone. The older Salvatore looked up at the banner and snorted. Happy birthday Bonnie, yeah right. “It was a really depressing party, huh?” he mumbled. “That was to be expected. We all knew that she wouldn't be able to come. And I think we feel her absence even more today.” Ric replied.

Damon couldn't tear his eyes away from the banner. He couldn't shake the feeling that Kai had tricked them. Had he really sent that message? There was no proof. And even if he had. Would Bonnie understand? Would she make it home? It was insane how much he missed her. How much he missed talking to her. She had gained his respect a long time ago, although he had never told her. But back in the prison-world they had become friends. He had started appreciating her quiet strength. And her intelligence and good advice. That he missed the most right now.

He jumped in shock when he felt Ric's hand on his shoulder. “We'll get her back. One way or another.” the teacher whispered, once more knowing exactly what the dark-haired vampire was thinking. Damon turned to face him and forced himself to smile. He didn't want to talk about Bonnie right now. Didn't even want to think about her. Everything was so fucking complicated right now. The thing with Bonnie and with Kai and that thing between him and Ric. He couldn't help wondering where it would lead. But he didn't want to think about that right now either. He just wanted to forget and not think about anything for a while.

Without warning he pulled Ric closer and kissed him passionately. The teacher responded in kind, but made a protesting sound when Damon pushed him against the nearest wall. “Damon, your brother will be back any minute. We have to...” But Damon didn't let him finish. He silenced him with another kiss. “Let's go upstairs. I want you. Now.” he nearly begged.

He could practically see Ric's resistance starting to crumble and started attacking the teacher's throat with little kisses. He knew pretty well how to turn him on by now and it didn't take long at all until the teacher gave in. If there was one thing he had learned over the last few weeks it was the fact that they could never keep their hands off each other for long. 

He grabbed Alaric's arm and pulled him upstairs, threw him against the door of his bedroom, as soon as it had closed behind them and sealed his lips with another heated kiss. But Ric didn't remain passive for long. He practically ripped Damon's shirt off and pushed him towards the bed. They lost the rest of their clothes on the way there and finally tumbled into bed completely naked. 

Damon gasped when he was suddenly turned onto his belly and pushed down into the mattress. He heard the clicking sound that told him his friend had opened the tube of lube and seconds later Ric pushed two fingers into him roughly.

Damon loved it when they took their time. When foreplay was drawn out and Alaric treated him like something special, nearly fragile. He loved the few times when Ric gave in and allowed Damon to take him, despite his early claim that he would never bottom. But he also loved it when the teacher handled him roughly and didn't waste any time. And most of all he loved the fact that Ric seemed to know instinctively what he wanted or needed.

He clenched his hands around the covers and groaned when Ric finally pushed into him. Enjoyed the short stab of pain, thanks to the hurried preparation, that made him forget everything else. Damon arched into his lover's strong grip, before burying his head in the cushions to muffle his cries, while Ric kept thrusting into him over and over again.

Through the fog of lust he suddenly heard Stefan's angry voice and had to grin. The younger Salvatore had obviously just noticed that they had disappeared instead of cleaning the living-room, because he came stomping along the hallway, searching for his brother. “Damon! Where are you, damn it? If you really think you can just sneak off and let me do all the work, then...” he was shouting. Damon threw his head back and moaned loudly. “God, Ric! Yes, deeper..” Stefan shut up instantly and retreated back downstairs in a hurry.

“You're.. impossible.” Alaric gasped. “Why? Maybe I'm just.. fuck, do that again... Just.. really satisfied with.. your performance.” Ric chuckled and bit into his shoulder. Hard enough to leave a mark, but not hard enough to draw blood. Damon groaned and buried his head in the cushions again. Then one of Ric's hands found his erection and started stroking it in time with his thrusts. The double stimulation proved too much and Damon came with a shout. Ric thrust into him a few more times, before following him over the cliff. Again his teeth found Damon's shoulder, but without breaking the skin. He was getting better at that control thing.

After their breathing had returned to normal they showered together. Washed off the last traces of their lovemaking amongst lingering kisses, before crawling into bed again. “Should we go downstairs and help Stefan?” Ric asked after a while. “No. The party wasn't my idea. And he would only blush and start stammering if he saw us right now. You know how much of a prude he is.” Damon declined, cuddling against Ric's naked chest instead. He felt the teacher's arms tighten around himself and closed his eyes, content to forget the world outside for a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess Kai could just suck the Magic out of the amulet, right? Didn't think of that. Let's just pretend he doesn't think of it either, okay?


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I'm not sure what to do with him, I'm sending Jeremy off to art school. He just doesn't fit into the story.

Jeremy really applied for an art school in Santa Fe and got the positive answer about a week later. Alaric was a little surprised that they accepted him so fast. Okay, the boy was good, but that good? The mystery was solved when Damon confessed over dinner that night that he had made a donation to the school. “You bought Jeremy into art school.” the teacher realized. “Yeah. Was easier than flying there and compelling the principal.” the dark-haired vampire said with a shrug. “But don't tell the others, okay? Let little Gilbert think they want him because of his talent.”

“Why do you always want to keep it a secret when you do something nice?” Ric wanted to know. “To spare myself unnecessary high expectations. When people see good they expect good.” Damon explained. “And why are you telling me the truth?” the teacher went on. “Because you know me. You don't have unnecessary high expectations.” Ric only smiled and didn't comment.

Early next morning he paid a visit to principal Weber and compelled him to let Jeremy graduate early and give him better grades. Since the principal was behaving like a total dick and kept on criticizing Jeremy, he didn't even feel guilty about it. And when Elena hugged him and thanked him later he actually felt kinda good. He had done what was best for Jeremy. To give him the future he deserved.

But now the time of Jeremy's departure had come and still they hadn't heard from Bonnie. Alaric and Damon had agreed right after making that deal with Kai not to tell the others. They hadn't really known if Bonnie had actually gotten their message and didn't want the other kids to get their hopes up. In fact it looked like Kai had tricked them. Because if he had really sent the message, Bonnie should have made it home by now.

“We shouldn't have trusted him.” Damon grumbled, when they were talking about it while having breakfast at Ric's flat. “We didn't trust him. We took the chance we had. It was worth a try, right?” the teacher insisted. “Yeah, you're probably right.” the dark-haired vampire agreed. The problem was, they were running out of ideas. Despite their excessive research they hadn't found any clue on how to save Bonnie. The message had been their last, desperate attempt. And it had failed. Now all they could do was wait and hope that the witch might get the idea to draw magic from a different source herself.

“We should go. Today is Jeremy's last day in Mystic Falls.” Ric reminded. They had all agreed to meet at the Grill for a little going away party. “Yeah, you know what? I'll meet you there. I've got something to take care of first.” Damon decided. The teacher shrugged. “Okay. But don't wait too long.” he asked. Even though Damon and Jeremy had a rather complicated relationship, he was sure that the teen would want to say goodbye. “Don't worry. I'll be there.” the dark-haired vampire assured.

So while he got into his Camaro and drove off, Ric headed to the Mystic Grill. So far only Jeremy, Matt and Tyler were there. The three boys were sitting at the bar and laughing about something. Alaric cast a worried glance at the bottle of vodka sitting on the counter. “We haven't even opened it yet, don't worry. But.. it's my last day here. I'm allowed one or two drinks.” Jeremy pouted. The teacher heaved a resigned sigh. “Fine. This place is closed for another hour. I'm making an exception. But I swear, Jeremy, if I get a call from the drunk tank in Santa Fe... “ 

“You're gonna make another doctor give me an STD test again? Yeah, yeah. I've learned from my mistakes.” the Gilbert boy interrupted him. Ric rolled his eyes, but allowed Matt to fill shot glasses with vodka and toasted with the guys. “So, did you pack everything yet? Something we've got to take care of before I drive you to the airport tomorrow morning?” he wanted to know. “Well, I'm .. almost done with packing.” Jeremy claimed. Which Ric translated into: “I haven't even started packing yet.” Well, he was sure Elena would help with that. “But I picked up my certificate and everything at the school earlier. Thanks again.” Jeremy continued.

Ric shrugged it off. “Yeah, don't get used to it. I won't fly to Santa Fe to compel you better grades, got it? From now on it's up to you.” he stated. Hopefully Jeremy would have a lot of time to concentrate on his grades in Santa Fe. At least he wouldn't be bothered with bloodthirsty vampires and crazy witches. That should make it easier.

Matt had just filled their glasses for the second time, when Elena, Caroline and Stefan arrived. It was easy to see that Elena had a hard time letting her brother go. But she tried to be strong and forced a smile to her face. A short while later Damon arrived and they toasted again. Despite the impending goodbye everyone was laughing and cheerful. This wasn’t really an end. It was a new beginning for Jeremy and they all knew it.

While Alaric was busy talking to Elena some time later, making sure she would help her brother pack, Damon sat down next to Jeremy and put a small package into his pocket. “Little going away present.” he whispered. The boy looked at him in puzzlement and pulled the package out. Damon rolled his eyes. “Put it away, you idiot. Tell your sister, I'll kill you... again.” he threatened.  
Jeremy grinned and shoved the pot back into his pocket. His eyes strayed to Elena, who was still talking to Alaric. “Will she be okay?” he asked hesitantly. “She will be. We all will. Somehow, we'll all find a way to move on without you, Jeremy. Oh, hey, just did.” Damon joked. Jeremy snorted. “It's my last day here. Could you at least try not to act like a dick?” Damon shrugged.

“I know that thing with you and Elena ended a little... badly. And I have no idea what's going on between you and Ric.” the boy started. He ignored Damon's shocked look and went on: “I don't really care, truth be told. But my sister isn't as tough as she pretends to be. Please promise me you'll look after her.” he asked quietly. “I will. Don't worry.” Damon promised strangely somber. “And I also promise you that we won't stop looking until we've got Bonnie back.” Jeremy nodded. “Yeah, I know.” For a moment they stared at each other. Then Damon muttered: “I hope you're not expecting a hug right now.”, making Jeremy laugh: “God no.”

“What are you talking about?” Elena wanted to know, popping up beside them. “Nothing important. I've just been giving him some dating tips.” Damon claimed. Jeremy grinned and called him a dick, but it sounded almost like an endearment. Elena shook her head. “We have to pack your things later. Don't forget that, yeah?” she reminded her brother, who gave her an annoyed look. But when she threatened to send Caroline to help him he quickly agreed. The brunette smiled and turned to Damon: “Could I talk to you for a second?”

The question took him by surprise, but he agreed and followed her to a quiet table in the corner. “I called the art school to make sure Jeremy's room is ready and all that. They told me everything was fine and asked me to thank Mister Salvatore again for the generous donation.” she said without preamble. “Why didn't you tell me?” Damon shrugged. “Didn't think it was important.” he muttered. He could've claimed that Mister Salvatore was Stefan, but she knew them both too well to fall for it.

“Thank you, Damon. That was really sweet of you. I really think it will be good for him to get out of here. He has to move on. And.. so do I.” she whispered. “I'm sorry that I was so mean to you lately. I blamed you for everything and took my anger out on you. That wasn't fair.” the brunette admitted. He was slowly starting to wonder where this talk was going. “Yeah, you were pretty bitchy.” he agreed. “I know. It's just.. everything's so complicated lately. My life has been turned upside down. Again. But this time.. I have to cope with everything on my own. Bonnie isn't there to give me advice. She always used to listen to my rambling with amazing patience and she gives great advice. I really miss that.”

“Yeah, me too. I could use her advice right now as well.” Damon agreed. Elena smiled, but he could see tears pooling in her eyes. “Do you think, we.. we could be friends again? Like we used to be?” she asked hesitantly. “I think so. I mean, you and Stefan stayed friends. Should work for us as well.” the dark-haired vampire mused. And maybe it would be for the best. They had never been good as a couple, but they had always been good as friends.

“I would like that.” Elena assured. “I never meant to hurt you. This thing with Liam.. it took me by surprise. But I think it's better like this. And I really hope you find someone that can make you happy.” Damon had to fight the urge to look over at Alaric. Maybe he had already found that someone. But he didn't want to talk about that right now. And especially not with Elena. “Hey, I've got time. Vampire, remember?” he joked. The brunette smiled and went to rejoin her brother.

Damon kept watching her for a while and realized with a start that he really felt nothing but friendship for her anymore. Had it ever been more than that? He didn't know. Right now he didn't know what to think or feel at all. 

He finally averted his eyes when Alaric sat down next to him and handed him a glass of bourbon. “So.. you gave Jeremy pot, yeah? Was that the thing you had to take care of earlier? Get drugs as a going away present?” the teacher wanted to know. “How do you know? Did he rat me out?” Damon asked. “He's carrying it around in his pocket, Damon. I'm a vampire, in case you've forgotten. I can smell it.” Okay, he hadn't thought of that. Lucky for him, Elena wasn't a vampire anymore. He was pretty sure Ric would take it easier than her. “You let him have four glasses of vodka.” he reminded a little petulantly.

The teacher sighed. “Guess that makes it official. We're the worst guardians possible.” Damon grinned and toasted to him. “I'll drink to that.” Ric grinned back and emptied his glass in one gulp. “And the worst role models as well.” he added. “Come on, let the boy have some fun. His life is going to be so boring soon, without supernatural monsters and all that.” the older vampire claimed. “Well, knowing our luck he's going to stumble upon a coven of witches or a pack of werewolves on his first day of school.” Alaric mumbled. Damon only shrugged. “Then he'll feel right at home.”

***

The party went on for quite a while. Damon mostly stayed at his table in the corner and watched the others. Strangely enough he was starting to think he might actually miss the little Gilbert. At least a little. Ric mostly kept him company. He too looked a little sad and Damon had to resist the completely stupid urge to hold his hand.

Early afternoon Elena and Jeremy went back to the Lockwood-mansion to pack his things. Stefan and Caroline left as well, stating they had to help Liz with something. Tyler had already run off to meet his girlfriend and Matt was busy at the bar. Damon and Alaric stayed a little longer and had a few drinks. Afterwards Alaric went to the Lockwood-mansion as well. He would spend the night there and drive Jeremy to the airport early next morning.

Damon went home and was just about to head upstairs when his phone rang. “You won't believe it. I just caught Jeremy and Elena smoking your going away present.” Alaric greeted him. “You're kidding me.” That didn't sound like his often uptight ex at all. “No, really. Elena thought smoking a joint with her little brother might be the most normal thing that they've done together in years. Frighteningly enough I have to agree with her.” Okay, looking back at their lives lately that was probably true.

“And now?” the dark-haired vampire wanted to know. “They're giggling like mad and munching pizza. And Elena wants me to compel her a new car, since she just gave hers to Jeremy.” the teacher said with a resigned sigh. “She's high. That doesn't count. Tell her to get herself a new car if she's stupid enough to give hers away in a drug induced haze.” Damon ordered. “Will do. And then I'll have to find out if they've even packed his stuff yet. I'm afraid it's going to be a long night.” Damon chuckled, told Ric to have fun and hung up. 

Still grinning he was about to continue to his room when he heard a noise downstairs. He stopped and listened, but there was no doubt. Someone was sneaking around in the kitchen. But Ric was at the Lockwood-mansion with Jeremy and Elena and Stefan had sent him a text about 10 minutes ago, letting him know he would be home late. So who the hell was down there? Quietly Damon crept back downstairs, careful not to make a sound.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A return, a realization and a goodbye.

Damon opened the door to the kitchen, took one step inside and froze. It couldn't be. He was seeing things. Right? “Bonnie?” he whispered in disbelief. “The one and only.” the witch grinned at him. Slowly a grin spread over his face as well. She had done it. She was back. “I can't believe it. You're back.” He opened his arms and Bonnie jumped into them with a laugh.

The dark-haired vampire hugged her for a moment, before letting go and looking into her smiling face. “How did you do it?” he wanted to know. “Well, I guess I've got you to thank for that. At least partially. I found your message. The old house... I should've thought of it.” she muttered. “So you got the message? We weren't sure, because you took so long.” the vampire admitted. “Well, you shouldn't have put it into that stupid crossword puzzle. Did you really think I had nothing better to do all day?”

“Wait, he put it into the crossword puzzle? That idiot!” Damon snapped. No wonder Bonnie hadn't seen it sooner. “Who? How did you manage to send that note?” the witch wanted to know. Damon sighed. “Well, at first Ric and I tried to come and get you ourselves, but Kai stopped us. And then he destroyed the ascendant. He couldn't really mend it either, but he said he could send you a message.” Damon explained. “Wait, Kai sent that message? Why should he of all people help you? After sabotaging you first. That dick was the reason I was stuck there in the first place.”

The vampire sighed. “It's a long story, Bon-Bon. You've got some time?” Bonnie sat down and looked at him expectantly. “I've got lots of time. Tell me.” He took a seat next to her and started recounting what had happened during her absence.

Over an hour later he finally leaned back. The witch was silent for some time, processing the information. “So... Kai merged with his sister, who was a good friend of Elena and is now dead. He's the leader of his coven and the lives of all his family are bound to his. But he got some emotions from his sister and is now... less of a psychopath.” she repeated slowly. Damon nodded. “Wow. And Elena is... human again. Thanks to Kai's twin sister. That's incredible. And you broke up. For good this time.”

“She's dating a future doctor now. Liam. Awfully boring guy.” the vampire added. “Okay, wow. So what else? Tyler is no werewolf anymore, but human with the werewolf gene again. Crazy. And he's dating Liv, who coincidentally is Kai's sister. Luke has given up his magic so they can’t merge and Kai has no reason to kill them. Sounds like I missed a lot.” Bonnie murmured, sounding overwhelmed. Bonnie murmured overwhelmed. “Anything else I should know?”

“I think I'm in love with Ric.” Damon had no idea why he said that. Okay, it was the truth. He could no longer deny that. But he hadn't meant to say it aloud. It just happened. Bonnie looked at him in surprise and grinned all of a sudden. “About time.” she commented. Which wasn't the reaction he had expected. “About time I fell in love with Ric?” he asked in puzzlement. The witch rolled her eyes. “About time you finally admitted it, you idiot. I've known for years that you're in love with Ric.”

Great. She obviously knew more than him. “But.. it just.. happened.” he mumbled. “Did it?” she asked. The vampire opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out. Was she right? Had these feelings been there all the time and he just hadn't realized it? How could he not have realized it? He and Ric had only been friends.

On the other hand their friendship had always been pretty tight. He had trusted Ric like no-one else. Had let him get close like no-one else. Not even Elena. And Ric's death had broken his heart. Back then he had thought it was merely the fact that Ric understood him like no-one ever had. That the teacher had always been there for him, shared his wry sense of humor and his love for good bourbon. But maybe the real reason had been something else entirely.

He looked at the witch in surprise, but she only smiled. At least she didn't say “I told you so.”. That was something. “Tell him.” she prodded instead. When the vampire tried to protest she cut him off: “Tell him, Damon. We both know that life is too short. How many more chances do you need?” And she was right again. But that didn't make it any easier. He couldn't go running to Ric and confessing his love, no matter what was going on between them at the moment.

“He feels the same. I'm sure of it.” Bonnie whispered. She might be right. There was just something in the way the teacher was sometimes looking at him. And not to forget the fact that he always stood by his side, no matter how much Damon fucked things up. “How did you finally notice? Have you.. gotten closer?” the witch asked suddenly. Damon nodded. Yes, they had gotten very close over the last few weeks. Not only physically.

Bonnie finally got up and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Tell him. Tomorrow. It's probably a bit late now.” she murmured. “And talking of late – can I stay here overnight? I'm still a bit... disoriented. I don't want to face the others yet.” she confessed. “Sure, you can have the guestroom.” he assured. He had started viewing one of them as hers anyways, since she had always slept there in the prison-world. “You know the way.”

She nodded and bade him goodnight, before walking upstairs silently. Damon sat in the kitchen for a while and kept thinking about her words. When he heard Stefan's car pulling up in the driveway he quickly headed to his bedroom. He didn't feel like facing his brother right now.

***

In bed he kept tossing and turning for hours, but sleep wouldn't come. It was 4:00 am in the morning when he suddenly remembered that he hadn't told Bonnie anything about Jeremy's plans. The boy would board a plane in just a few hours. He had to tell the witch. At least give her the chance to say goodbye.

Hesitating only a second he got up, dressed quickly and crept down to the library, before going upstairs again and knocking on the door of Bonnie's bedroom. He was surprised to find her awake as well. “I arrived at your old family crypt. And then I came here. To you. Because I knew you would be the only one who can understand how I feel right now.” she murmured quietly. Damon sat down at the edge of the bed. “A little lost, because the world has moved on without you. And a little overwhelmed by all the noise and the many people. But still happy to be home.” he whispered back. 

“Pretty much sums it up.” the witch agreed, sitting up. She finally noticed what he was holding in his hands. “Miss Cuddles.” The vampire smiled. “I looked after her for you. I think there's something hidden inside her that you want back.” Bonnie hesitantly reached out and took the bear from him. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and whispered: “Lectos espiritox“. Damon watched her curiously, but nothing happened. At least nothing he could see. “Everything back where it belongs?” The witch smiled at him. “Yeah, I've got my magic back. Feels good.”

“Awesome. But the main reason for my nightly visit... Jeremy applied for art school in Santa Fe. They took him, not really thanks to his talent, but whatever. The point is, he boards a plane in a few hours. So if you want to see him before he leaves...” Bonnie looked torn. “Actually I … was hoping I could hide from the others for a while. Until I don't feel so off-balance anymore, you know? But... I think I need to see him. I have to say goodbye properly this time. Not over the phone again.”

“He didn't want to leave. Not while you were still stuck there. Ric had to talk him into leaving.” Damon let her know. The witch nodded. “It's good that he's leaving. I always wanted him to leave the chaos of Mystic Falls behind one day. Start a normal life.” she murmured. “Well, I would miss the chaos, but whatever. Get dressed. I'll take you to see him.” the vampire decided.

He waited in the living-room while Bonnie got dressed. “I think I need to stop by our dorm soon. I can't wait to finally wear something not made of flannel.” she joked, when she joined him. “Yeah, I can imagine.” he agreed.

When they reached the Lockwood-mansion it was about 5:00 am and they could already see light through a few of the windows. Bonnie seemed nervous. “Want me to call Ric and ask him to let us in? Then we won't wake the whole house.” Damon offered. Bonnie nodded gratefully, but a call wasn't even necessary. Alaric had obviously heard the Camaro, because he opened the door and glanced in their direction. His eyes widened when he spied Bonnie and he walked up to meet them quickly. “Bonnie. I can't believe it.” The witch smiled back and hugged him.

“Well our message actually arrived. But please don't tell anyone yet. Bonnie just wanted to see Jeremy before he leaves.” Damon asked. The teacher nodded, leading them into the house. “He's just getting his stuff. He should be down in a minute.” True to his word it didn't take long until Jeremy came trudging downstairs, carrying two heavy bags.

When his eyes landed on Bonnie he stopped dead in his tracks. “That.. it can't... Bonnie?” he stammered. The witch smiled softly and took a step forward, causing him to drop his bags and rush over to meet her. “I can't believe it. You're back.” Jeremy whispered completely overwhelmed, while he pulled her into his arms. Bonnie returned the hug for a moment, but pulled back soon. “I'm back. And I'm okay.” she assured.

“We don't have much time. 10 minutes tops. You can't miss your flight.” Alaric cautioned. But Jeremy shook his head and didn't take his eyes off the witch. “No, I won't go. I'm staying.” he decided. Ric and Damon were about to protest, but Bonnie beat them to it. “No, you're not. You're gonna go to that school and finally start a normal life.” she insisted. “I never wanted you to be stuck here waiting for me. I wanted you to move on.”

“But you're back now. I can't just...” he started to protest, but she cut him off. “Yes, you can and you will. You need to get out of this town, Jeremy. Far away from all the supernatural drama. Go to Santa Fe. Live your life and be happy. Without me. We.. we were never really meant to be.”

Jeremy just stared at her for what felt like hours. Finally he nodded. “Okay. Maybe you're right. Maybe I need to get out of here for a while. At least now I know that you're okay. And you came to say goodbye this time.” Bonnie smiled sadly. “I'm sorry about that phone call. It was easier this way. At least for me. Because this right here isn't easy at all. But it's the right thing to do. For both of us. It's time for you to let me go.” He nodded. “I know. But.. I won't say goodbye. Not again. I'll see you soon, Bonnie.”

Jeremy picked up his bags and followed Alaric to the car without looking back. “She's right. This is your chance at a normal life. Use it.” the teacher advised after they had pulled out of the driveway. “And what if I don't want a normal life? What if I want the supernatural stuff?” Jeremy asked stubbornly. “You'll only know if you try. If you're not happy in Santa Fe you just come back. This is your home. It will always be your home.” Ric promised.

Once at the airport they checked in the bags and waited for boarding to start. When it was finally time to say goodbye, Alaric pulled the boy into his arms and told him how proud he was. “Hey, it's okay. This isn't goodbye forever, you know? I'll be home for the holidays.” Jeremy joked. “Overly emotional vampire. I can't help it.” the teacher defended himself. Letting Jeremy go proved harder than he had anticipated. “Great excuse.” Jeremy muttered, seeking his guardian's eyes. “Elena will be okay, right?” he asked. “Yes, she will. We all will. And like you said, this isn't forever. I'll see you during the holidays.” Ric reminded.

“And... you and Damon?” Somehow Alaric had always known that Jeremy had noticed something. He was a clever kid after all. “I love him.” he admitted surprisingly honest. “I always have. What will come of it... I don't know. We'll see.” Jeremy nodded. “I'll never understand what everyone sees in him, but still.. good luck. Guess you'll need it.” Ric laughed. “And good luck to you as well. Call me when you land.” The boy rolled his eyes, but promised to call. 

Ric watched him go with a sad smile. It was hard to let him leave. But it was the best for Jeremy. He could finally move on. After the boy had vanished from sight, the teacher went back to his car and made his way to the boarding house.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone really needs to kick Damon. Good thing Bonnie is back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very short chapter this time. Not sure if the next one will be longer.

“Hey, Damon!“ The dark-haired vampire hastened downstairs and had trouble biting back a nasty comment. If he asked his brother to keep the noise down he would want to know why. And Damon could hardly tell him about the sleeping witch in the guestroom. Bonnie didn't want the others to know that she was back, yet. After the short visit to Jeremy they had come back to the boarding house and she had gone straight back to bed. “What is it?” Damon asked his brother.

“I'm going to visit Elena. Try to cheer her up a bit, now that Jeremy is gone. It's not easy for her, you know?” The older Salvatore nodded. He was glad to see his brother leaving the house. “Yeah, do that.” he mumbled dismissively. Stefan shook his head and opened the front door, almost running into Alaric, who was just about to enter. The younger Salvatore told him that he was meeting Elena and made sure that Jeremy had reached his plane on time.

“Does he know that...?” Ric asked, after Stefan was gone. “No. Only the two of us and Jeremy know so far. She wanted a bit of peace and quiet first. She's sleeping upstairs.” Damon explained. “So she came straight to you?” The teacher was a little surprised at this. Both took a seat on the couch. “She thought I would be the only one who really gets how she feels right now. When you're suddenly thrown back here from this world, where there are only two people beside yourself, that's tough. And Bonnie was all on her own for the last couple of weeks. She's not used to all the noise and the people anymore.” Damon tried to explain.

“Did you talk?” Ric wanted to know. “Yeah, last night. I told her what she missed. And she's got her magic back. Guess it's all a bit much right now. And the fact that she will have to face Kai sooner or later, after everything he did to her...” the dark-haired vampire murmured. “It can't have been easy for you either. But you never said anything. You even helped me with my problems.” Damon looked at his friend and shrugged. “You being there made it easier. The fact that you listened. And helping you took my mind off it.”

Their eyes met and Damon felt unable to look away. There was this almost familiar tension again. The tension that lately led to fantastic sex more often than not. But this time it felt different. Maybe because he had finally admitted his feelings for the other vampire. He knew that the moment was perfect. He should tell Ric right now that he was in love with him. But his throat felt too tight and he couldn't get a word out. His heart started hammering. The teacher must hear, because he was starting to look worried. Now or never...

No, he just couldn't. He averted his eyes and only now noticed Bonnie standing on the stairs, watching them. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. The message was clear anyways: “Tell him.” But Damon shook his head slightly and got up. “Bon-Bon, awake again? Come down, I'll make breakfast. You had to live without my fabulous pancakes far too long.”

Alaric looked at the stairs in surprise. He hadn't heard the witch either. “Bonnie, how are you?” She came down and forced a smile to her face. “Pretty good. A little jet lagged, maybe.” she joked. “So breakfast.” Damon decided, grinning widely and marching off towards the kitchen. Bonnie looked at Ric. “Would you mind waiting here? I would like to talk to Damon alone for a moment.” she asked. “Sure, no problem. I wanted to raid the downstairs fridge anyway. My breakfast habits have changed, you know?” the teacher said with wry smile.

Bonnie thanked him and joined Damon in the kitchen. “What the hell was that? Why did you back out?” she asked. The vampire ignored her and kept bustling around. “I don't have blueberries. Stefan forgot to go shopping again. How about banana-pancakes? Yeah, that's an idea. You like bananas, right?” Before she could answer he was already cutting fruits and mixing them into the dough. “Would you just forget the damn pancakes for a moment? That right there would have been the perfect moment to tell Alaric how you feel.”

Damon kept his eyes fixed on the stove, but finally mumbled: “I know. But I couldn't.” The witch sighed and sat down at the table. Cornering him would get her nowhere. It would only make him shut up completely. That much she had learned. “Why? What's so hard about saying three little words?” she prodded. Damon took some time to answer. “Everything. I was scared, okay?” he admitted, serving Bonnie her pancakes and leaning against the counter. “The fact that we've been fucking like bunnies for the past few weeks doesn't necessarily mean that he loves me.”

“Okay, way too much information.” the witch commented with a grimace. “You knew. You asked me if we had gotten closer.” he reminded. “Getting closer doesn't have to mean sex.” she pointed out, even if she had in fact known that Damon would think of physical closeness. For a moment both were quiet. The witch ate her breakfast (okay, she had kinda missed the pancakes, but she would never admit it) and Damon watched her. “And what do I do now?” the vampire asked finally.

“Now you stop behaving like a five-year-old and tell him.” Bonnie ordered, getting up. “I'm going to my dorm, now. To see Caroline and Elena. If I can face the world you can face your best friend.” She walked to the door, but turned at the last minute and gave him a stern look. “Or you can wait for me to come back and start giving you aneurysms until you finally talk.” Damon looked surprised, but then he threw his head back and laughed. “Good to have you back, Bon-Bon.”

After the grinning witch had disappeared, he went back to the library, where he found Alaric on the couch, two glasses of bourbon on the table in front of him. “Drinks in the morning.” the dark-haired vampire joked lightly, taking a seat next to him. “Why not? I don't have to work, today.” Ric let him know. Somehow he seemed nervous all of a sudden, which in turn spiked Damon's nervousness. Both took a big gulp of their drinks and their eyes met again. “Damon, I ...”


	33. Chapter 33

“Knock, knock. Anybody home? Ah, there you are. I'm not interrupting, am I?” Both vampires looked up in annoyance. “Of course you're interrupting. Like always. What the hell do you want now?” Damon growled. Kai dropped down into a seat and got comfortable. “Ah, just a few tiny things. So I heard Bonnie is back.” When both vampires just looked at him in surprise, he explained: “Hey, I'm the all powerful leader of the Gemini-coven. I know when someone escapes from one of my prison-worlds.”

“Wait, worlds? Like in more than one?” Damon asked. “Yeah, quite a few. But that's not really important now. It's okay that Bonnie got out. And I want to apologize. So you will arrange a meeting with her.” the warlock decided. “She doesn't want to see you.” Damon refused. “But I need to see her. So arrange a meeting.” Kai ordered again. “And why should we help you again?” Alaric chimed in. “To make sure I don't get angry? You know, bad things happen when I get angry. I could gouge sweet little Elena's eyes out, for example. With magic of course. I can do that now. It's totally cool.”

Damon and Alaric shared a quick look. He wasn't joking, that much was for sure. “Okay, we'll talk to Bonnie. See what we can do. But we need some time.” Damon finally said. “Time? Fine, let's say... two days? Yes, two days should be enough. So if I haven't heard from Bonnie in two days, Elena can say goodbye to her lovely doe-eyes. And if you try to hide her from me, I'll just have to find some other victim. Maybe sheriff Forbes? Or how about a little kid? I hate kids. They're so loud and annoying. If you had to grow up with so many siblings you would know what I'm talking about. .. But anyways.. two days. Tick tock.” Kai grinned at them and then strolled out.

“We need to get rid of him somehow.” Alaric voiced what they both knew. Damon nodded. “Let's head to the dorms and talk to Bon-Bon. Maybe she knows a way.”

***

Caroline glanced at her buzzing phone, saw Enzo's name on the screen and didn't answer. She was a coward and she knew it. Since Bonnie's birthday party she had been avoiding him. She didn't know how to behave now. What to think or to feel. She didn't know what she even wanted.

Yes, she felt drawn to Enzo. Very much. And sometimes she thought back to their night in that motel and felt this strange longing for him. She remembered the taste of his lips or how he had covered her whole body with kisses. How he had treated her like she was special and made her see stars. She loved the way he sometimes looked at her. Like she was a goddess in his eyes.

But still she was scared. He was dangerous and unpredictable. No matter how nice and charming he appeared. And even if she loved the thought that he would change for her, she couldn't really believe in that change. He was a bad boy. And he would always be a bad boy. Could she really trust him with her heart?

Okay, so Damon had changed from total bad boy to half decent guy. Even she couldn't deny that. He and Enzo had a lot in common. But still Damon's relationship with Elena hadn't worked out. She shook her head with an angry sigh. Bad example. She knew that he had never really loved Elena. That he had in fact changed mostly thanks to Alaric. But would this relationship last? And even if, could she relate from Damon and Alaric to herself and Enzo?

The beeping of her phone made her jump in shock. Hesitantly she read his text. _Why do you ignore me, gorgeous? Let's do something. We can even keep our clothes on if you insist._ Caroline had to smile despite herself. “You're a dumb-ass.” she muttered. Her finger was already hovering over the answer button, before she even knew what she was doing. Did she want to see him? Yes, she did. But she was also scared of facing him, now that his feelings for her were standing between them. Up until now she had been able to pretend they were only friends. But now? Okay, he had said he would wait. And she knew that he wouldn't give up if she simply ignored him.

As if to prove her right the next text arrived. _How about dinner? I know a restaurant with really tasty waitresses._ And before she could get worked up over his joke the next text followed: _Only joking. How about Italian?_ The blonde stared at her phone and sighed deeply. “What am I going to do? Why is this so damn hard?”

“Sounds like you could use a friend.” Caroline whirled around in shock. For a second she was sure she was imagining things. But no, she knew that voice. She knew that girl. “Bonnie? Oh my god, you... you're here. Really here.” Before the witch had a chance to reply, Caroline squealed, sped over and threw her arms around Bonnie's neck. She was torn between laughing and crying. “I can't believe it. You're back.” she sobbed completely overwhelmed. “Yes, I'm back.” Bonnie whispered, hugging her back.

“I missed you so much.” Caroline sniffled, finally pulling back. “I missed you, too. All of you.” Bonnie assured. The blonde suddenly gasped in shock. “Oh no! Jeremy! He...” she started, but her friend interrupted: “left for Santa Fe this morning. I know. I saw him before he left and said goodbye.” Caroline sighed in relief. “Good. How long have you been back? Do the others know yet? Do you want me to call everyone?”

“I came back last night. I've only seen Damon and Alaric so far. But please, don't call everyone. I don't want a big welcome back party.” the witch asked. “Okay, whatever you want.” Caroline assured, just as her phone beeped again. _I'm getting worried here. Are you okay?_ “Who is trying so hard to get your attention?” Bonnie wanted to know. “Enzo.” Caroline confessed hesitantly. “He wants to have dinner with me. It's all very... complicated.”

“Yeah, I can imagine. I'm gone for a couple of month and once again you're stuck between two guys.” the witch joked. “What? How do you...?” “Damon told me. About you and Stefan and about you and Enzo.” Bonnie explained. The blonde pouted. “Great. Like he's one to talk. And why did you go running to Damon instead of coming to me first?” she protested. Bonnie dropped down on her bed and met her eyes gingerly. “I missed all of you. Terribly. But... I was alone there for month. And suddenly I'm back here and that's... amazing, but also.. a little frightening, you know? I just thought Damon would understand.”

Caroline nodded slowly. “Okay, I get it. Shared experience and all that.” she said softly. “So.. what are you gonna do about Enzo?” Bonnie asked, trying to change the subject. She didn't want to think about her own problems right now. “I have no idea. I don't know what to do anymore. I mean.. that thing with Stefan.. it was more of a crush, really. We're friends and we'll stay friends. It's better this way. But Enzo... I just have no idea what to do with him.” the blonde muttered. “But you like him?” the witch checked. “Yes, I like him. I know it's crazy. He's a real dick and he did horrible things. But..”

“But once you get to know him better you find out that he's not all that bad? That he can be quite nice? Yeah, I experienced the same with Damon. I used to hate him and now he's suddenly one of my closest friends. So don't worry. I won't judge you.” Bonnie assured. The blonde whispered her thanks. “So you like Enzo. And you feel drawn to him, right?” Caroline nodded hesitantly before admitting: “I slept with him. A few weeks ago. That... god, it wasn't planned at all. It just happened. But it .. wasn't like that one time with Klaus. It was … more, I think.”

The witch smiled. Caroline was head over heels, even if she didn't want to admit it yet. “Well, I guess there's nothing wrong with having dinner. If you want I'll even come with you. And see for myself that he can be a nice guy.” she offered. “Seriously? Oh thank you. That's a great idea.” the blonde agreed. She grabbed her phone and sent a quick text to Enzo. _I'm great. What would you say about taking me and my best friend out to dinner tonight?_

The answer was immediate. _A threesome? Hot! I'll be there, gorgeous._ Caroline rolled her eyes, but had to grin despite herself. The guy was so predictable. She only hoped he would behave tonight. Bonnie hadn't gotten a good impression of him so far. But at least she was willing to give him a chance. So maybe Caroline should do the same.

But before she could comment on that thought, the door flew open without warning. “Can't you knock, damn it? We could've been naked!” the blonde snapped. “So? Nothing I haven't seen before.” Damon claimed. “We've got a little problem, we need to talk about.” He took a seat next to Bonnie on the bed, while Alaric leaned against the wall. “It concerns Kai.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know I'm mean. But I couldn't make it that easy on them. Especially with Kai still running around.


	34. Chapter 34

Bonnie sighed inwardly. She was the second day back and already the chaos of Mystic Falls had caught up with her. Almost as if to make up for the time she had been on her own, she was now confronted with a load of problems again, had to listen to her friends troubles and give advice. The only good thing was that it took her mind off her own troubles. “What did he do now?” she asked.

Damon told her about Kai's visit and his threats. “We need to do something. Get rid of him somehow, without killing him. It can't go on like this.” Alaric said, after the dark-haired vampire had ended. Bonnie nodded. She had planned to get rid of Kai anyways. The fact that the survival of his whole coven depended on his survival complicated matters, but she'd had enough time over the last few weeks to read her gram's grimoire carefully. “I might have an idea. There was a spell in grams grimoire that should work.”

She got up and pulled the old grimoire out of a drawer, sending a silent thank you to whatever deity was listening that her friends hadn't thrown any of her things away, despite believing her dead. She set the thought aside and started turning pages until she found the right one. “That's it.” she murmured, going over the spell again. “Not exactly what we need, I think. But I'm pretty sure I can change the spell accordingly.”

“Great. What does it do?” Damon wanted to know, trying to look over her shoulder. “It puts Kai down without killing him.” Bonnie answered evasively closing the book. She wanted to be perfectly sure that it would work before telling them further details. She didn’t have much experience with altering spells so far. “I'm going to need Kai's blood for the spell to work.” she noticed. There would be no way around it. “Or at least.. a few hairs or something. Blood would be best. And I'll need a few days at least to get everything ready. So I guess I'll have to meet him tomorrow.” And she didn't like it one bit.

“I'm coming with you. I won't leave you alone with that psycho.” Damon promised. “We'll both come with you.” Alaric corrected. The witch smiled. “Thanks. I appreciate it. I don't want to be alone with him.” She had been alone with him way too long. Just thinking about it made her blood run cold. Thinking about all the things he had done to her. “I promised Liv and Luke to keep them up to date. Maybe they can help you.” the teacher mused. Bonnie promised to call them. She would probably need any help she could get.

The three of them had just agreed where and when to meet with Kai, when Elena and Stefan showed up. Both stopped dead in their tracks and stared at Bonnie like they were seeing a ghost. Then Elena gave a little shout of delight and it was hugs and happy tears again and Bonnie had to explain once again how she had gotten back and assure that she had seen Jeremy before he left. “He called earlier. The flight was okay and his room is great.” Alaric remembered suddenly. He had completely forgotten with all that was happening now. “Yeah, he called me as well. He sounded happy.” Elena agreed.

Then she got up and fetched something from a cupboard. “But now.. champagne! We need to celebrate Bonnie's return. I bought that bottle especially for that purpose.” she grinned. Caroline ran off to get glasses and soon all of them were toasting to Bonnie, who forced herself to smile.

After a while she got up and walked quietly towards the window, staring out without really seeing much. The others were still talking and laughing. Despite the fact that she had missed all of them terribly their combined presence was suddenly too much for her. She wasn't used to the noise anymore. To everyone talking at once and being surrounded by so many people. For a second she wanted nothing more than to run far away and hide in a quiet corner.

Damon appeared next to her, looking worried. “You okay?” It was almost scary that he knew her so well by now. That he could read her better than Elena or Caroline. “It's all a bit much.” she admitted quietly. She didn't need to lie to him. He would understand. “I know. You'll get used to it again. Just takes some time. All this trouble can be good. Prevents you from thinking too much.” he murmured. “And if you need a place to hide, you're always welcome. Your room is yours whenever you need it.” 

“Thank you. That's good to know.” she whispered back, before asking: “Have you talked to Ric, yet?” “Not really. Kai barged in. The guy has some timing.” the older Salvatore grumbled. “Liar. You're glad to have an excuse.” she claimed. He just shrugged, looking a little sheepish. Bonnie glanced at the clock and noticed that it was getting late. “Hey, could you get Alaric and Stefan out of here? I just want to shower and put on some decent clothes. And go to bed, actually. But I promised Caroline to have dinner with her and Enzo.”

“With Blondie and Enzo? Something I need to know?” Damon joked. “I'm playing chaperone. To make sure she doesn't throw herself at him.” the witch said with a smile. “Chaperone or match-maker?” he shot back. She giggled and punched his arm. “Whatever she needs.” 

Still grinning Damon turned away. “Ric, Stefan, let's go. I've decided to cook for you both.” Stefan was about to protest, but Alaric cut him off. “Hey, we shouldn't say no to that. Who knows when he offers again.” The younger Salvatore shot Caroline a helpless look, but she just nodded, so he gave in and followed the other two vampires out. Elena suddenly remembered that she was supposed to meet Liam in 10 minutes. “Why don't you come? I can introduce you.” she offered, but Bonnie told her she had already made plans with Caroline. “You can introduce us tomorrow.” Bonnie offered, when the brunette looked disappointed. 

After Elena had left the witch took a long, hot shower and enjoyed the quiet of the bathroom. At least until Caroline barged in to fix her make-up. With a sigh Bonnie turned the shower off and got dressed. “My not flannel clothes. How I missed them.” she joked. Caroline grinned and offered to borrow her earrings.

Shortly after, a knock at the door signaled Enzo's arrival. He too was surprised to see Bonnie. “I told you in the text that you'll get to take my best friend and me out to dinner.” Caroline reminded him with a grin. “You didn't mention that your best friend is a witch. But hey, fine by me. I never pass up the chance to go out with two hot girls at once.” Enzo offered Bonnie his arm with a flirty grin. A little skeptically she took his arm, while Caroline did the same and the dark-haired vampire led them outside, where a silver Porsche cabriolet was waiting. “Enzo, where did you get the car?” the blonde asked critically. “Borrowed it, gorgeous.” 

The two girls exchanged a quick look, but got in once he opened the door for them. He seemed intent to appear as perfect gentleman tonight, opening doors for them and taking their coats. But while they were looking at the menus his eyes strayed to the waitress' neck. “Enzo, behave.” Caroline hissed. His only answer was a smirk and Bonnie wasn't surprised when he excused himself after they had placed their orders. “He's feeding on the waitress, right?” The blonde shrugged helplessly. “I guess so. But he won't kill her.” 

Enzo returned a few minutes later with a satisfied grin. The waitress had a bandage on her arm, when she served dinner. Bonnie didn't comment, but Caroline glared at Enzo accusingly, who just smirked.

After desert the blonde excused herself to go to the bathroom and seemed rather unhappy that Bonnie didn't tag along. “So, how am I doing so far?” Enzo asked as soon as Caroline was out of earshot. When the witch just gave him a puzzled look he continued: “Well, you're here to check me out, aren't you? To find out whether I'm suitable for your friend or not.” Okay, so he had seen right through her. She could just as well be honest now. “You're an arrogant prick. You're complacent and inconsiderate. You don't care about human life. The waitress is prove of that.”

Enzo tried to interrupt, but she silenced him with a look. “But Caroline likes you, weirdly enough. She sees more in you. Maybe there is more. I don't know. Ever since I've gotten to know Damon better I'm willing to believe there is some good even in egoistic vampires. But if you break her heart, I'll break every bone in your body. Over and over again. Got it?” The threat made him grin, which did nothing to improve what she thought of him. “I can see why you're her best friend. You're way cooler than Elena. You're no damsel in distress, but a tough girl. You wouldn't hesitate to stake me if you had to.”

“You better remember that.” Bonnie warned. No, she would never understand what Caroline saw in him. But she also never understood what Elena had seen in Damon. The concept of good girl and bad boy had never been her thing. But there was no denying the fact that Enzo cared a lot about the blonde. Maybe he would even be good for her. She deserved some happiness after the Tyler and Klaus fiasco.

When Caroline returned a few minutes later, Enzo paid for the food and drove them back to their dorm. Elena wasn't back from her date yet, so the two girls talked about their evening. “So.. what do you think about him?” the blonde asked nervously. “He's a dick.” Bonnie answered brutally honest. Caroline's face fell, so she continued a little more gently. “Although I gotta admit that he can be quite charming if he wants to. And... if you want to hear my advice, then listen to your heart. You like him. He likes you. It's not really complicated.”

“But you don't like him?” Caroline prodded. “I don't know him. Not like you do. I don't get what you see in him. But then again, I'll never get what everybody sees in Damon either.” the witch said with a shrug. “I thought you and Damon were friends now? You looked pretty cozy together earlier.” the blonde pointed out. “We are friends. I like him, as weird as that is. But I don't fancy him.” the dark-skinned girl let her know. “Probably better like that. I don't know if you've noticed yet, but he and Ric finally got closer. Stefan says they're having sex. Rather loudly.” Caroline told her with a grin.

“I know. I'm trying to get Damon to tell Alaric how he feels. But the guy is so damn stubborn.” Bonnie cursed. “I wanted to talk to them as well, but Stefan told me not to. He still doesn't believe that they've been in love with each other for ages. He was totally shocked when he found out they're having sex. We even have a bet going now.” Caroline confessed giddily. Gossip was her thing and the two girls had discussed this topic before. “Men are just so stupid.” Bonnie said with a sigh. Although women weren't that much better she had to admit, glancing at the blonde. Why did love have to be so complicated?


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan is coming together, but Kai's suspicion is something to be reckoned with...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Story is slowly drawing to a close.

Early next afternoon Bonnie was sitting in a cafe, waiting for Kai. Damon and Alaric were watching her from a nearby table. She looked nervous, cast glances at the watch every few minutes and flinched every time someone came too close. Both vampires exchanged worried looks, but Bonnie had assured them she would be fine.

Then finally Kai arrived and took a seat opposite the witch. He too looked uncharacteristically nervous. “Hello Bonnie.” Damon could hear the witch's heart-beat speed up. Her breathing was getting irregular. “So I wanted … well I want to... apologize.” Kai stammered. “For everything .. I did .. to you. I mean for... hurting you. And stuff.” Bonnie just stared at him and didn't even seem to hear the words. She was shaking like a leaf and her heart hammered. “Bonnie?” Damon asked worriedly, but she didn't react.

“Okay, that's enough. You apologized. She's leaving.” the dark-haired vampire intervened. He got up and went over to Bonnie, who flinched when he touched her arm. “It's okay. Come on, I'll get you out of here.” he said softly, helping her up. When Kai tried to get up as well, Alaric pushed him back down. “You stay here.” he ordered, before following Damon and Bonnie outside.

Only when they had left the cafe and brought some distance between them and Kai did Bonnie slowly start to relax again. “I'm sorry. I just couldn't.. I saw him and everything came rushing back. Everything he did to me. He shot me, knocked me out, kidnapped me and stabbed me.. And now he .. he thinks he says sorry and everything's okay again.” she stammered in disbelief. “We shouldn't have let you meet him.” Alaric murmured. “No, you had no choice. I had no choice.” the witch insisted. She looked back to the cafe and flinched when Kai stepped out.

But she stood her ground defiantly when he came closer. “That was not how I pictured this to go down.” he grumbled. “I apologized. You can't just run away like that. You have to give me an answer. You have to tell me that you forgive me.” Bonnie was shaking again, but she didn't allow Damon to step in front of her protectively. Although it seemed to take all of her strength she forced herself to take a step in Kai's direction and slap him hard across the face. Her ring cut him in the process, leaving a bloody gash across his cheek. “My answer is: Rot in hell!”

Damon put an arm around her shoulders and led her off quickly, while Kai was still too shocked to react. Alaric pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to the warlock. “You're bleeding.” he said calmly, trying to ignore the tempting smell of blood, that made his mouth water and his hunger rise. Maybe he should've left this part to Damon. Kai took the handkerchief and pressed it to his cheek absently. “She's going to regret that.” he spat.

“You deserved that, after everything you did to her. And now I suggest you leave, before I forget myself.” the teacher warned. He was having trouble holding back and controlling the blood-lust right now. His gums were aching and it took all of his willpower not to attack the warlock. “What, you think I'm afraid of you? I can snap your neck with a wave of my hand.” Kai threatened. “Aside from that, you wouldn't harm me with so many witnesses around. So get lost and tell Bonnie we're not done.” With a disgusted snort he threw the now bloody handkerchief back at the teacher and stormed off.

Alaric picked it up and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, before he went to the parking lot, where Damon and Bonnie were waiting. “It worked.” he let them know, handing the bloody handkerchief to Bonnie. “I hope that's enough.” The cut hadn't been deep after all. The witch just nodded and put it into her bag.

“Come on. We'll take you back to your dorm. Or would you rather come home with me?” Damon asked. “I think I'd rather go to the boarding house. I want to get started on that spell right away and I could use some quiet for that.” Bonnie decided. She was still trembling and her heart-beat hadn't slowed down completely. But she sounded determined. She wouldn't allow Kai to keep hurting her. She would get rid of him. Once and for all.

Alaric returned to campus for his next lessons, while Damon took Bonnie to the boarding house. He kept sneaking worried glances at her. Seeing her like this, scared and almost panicky had shocked him. She was the strong one. The tough one, always optimistic. This scared little girl had nothing in common with the witch he had known for years now. He had no idea what had happened to her after she had sent him back. After she had sacrificed herself for him. But he felt guilty nonetheless. And now that she was back she was giving him relationship advice and helping them with Kai. Once again she was thinking of everyone but herself. Fucking martyr.

***

When they reached the boarding house they found Luke already waiting for them. “Liv couldn't get time off work.” he let them know, before asking if their plan had worked so far. Bonnie pulled out the bloody handkerchief. “Yes, it did.” The blond looked relieved. “Good. You know that I won't be much of a help, right? I gave up my magic.” Something that was still hard on him.

“Don't worry. I'm strong enough to handle the spell on my own” Bonnie assured. She knew from personal experience how vulnerable a witch was without her or his magic. But she had absorbed the magic of the hundred dead witches again in the prison-world. Combined with her own powers that was quite a lot. And it scared her. But she didn't want anyone to know. She didn't want anyone to worry even more. So far she had always managed to control the new magic. She had managed back when she had absorbed this magic the first time and also when she had absorbed Quetsiah's magic.

Shaking her head slightly she concentrated on the here and now. “It's more the theory I need your help with. I need to change the spell a little and I don't have much experience with that yet.” she admitted. “Okay, show me.” Luke asked, obviously glad to be of help. Both sat down on the couch and Bonnie opened her grandmother's grimoire, before putting her notes beside it. “Okay, this is the spell. And these are my notes on how to change it.” She had worked on those notes for hours and wasn't sure if she had done a good job.

Luke read both carefully, before nodding. “Okay, I see what you want to do. Great idea. I think this should work.” he agreed. The thought of getting rid of Kai was lifting his spirits. “So, let me think. I guess your notes are correct so far. But we need to bind the spell to something. That's the most important thing. And make sure there's no loophole.” he murmured, reading the lines again.

“And I would suggest making a few changes to the herbs. I would change the aniseed to cinnamon. And add more Valerian and foxglove. Maybe some lavender as well. What do you say?” Luke seemed totally in his element. “I haven't worked much with herbs so far.” Bonnie had to admit. “So I'll trust your word.”

“Okay, then we'll do it like I just said.” the blond decided and added some notes. “Do you want me to get the herbs?” Bonnie quickly agreed. She had no idea where to get all that. “How long do you need?” she asked hesitantly. Luke took one last look at their notes. “Most of the stuff should be easy to get. About two days, I think.” he assured. “Great. I'd suggest we meet tomorrow, same place, same time, to go over the details again. I'll try to think of something to bind the spell.” Bonnie decided. “Okay. Then I'll see you tomorrow.” Luke agreed, before taking his leave.

“So.. does that mean you'll be able to do it?” Damon asked. Bonnie nodded confidently. “Yes, definitely. With Luke's help there should be no problem.” She gathered her things and got up. “I'll go through all the details again and I have to do some research. Could you make sure that no one disturbs me?” The dark-haired vampire nodded. There was the witch he knew again. “Don't worry. No one is gonna get past me.” he promised with a wink.

***

Bonnie spent the rest of the day locked in a guestroom in the boarding house. She looked up different ways to bind the spell and in the end even called her cousin Lucy to ask for her opinion. Lucy was glad to find Bonnie alive again and told the witch about the visit of Caroline and Enzo and her role in Damon's first attempt to save her.

The dark-haired vampire kept his word and didn't allow anyone in to see her, despite the fact that she heard voices downstairs quite a few times. When Damon brought her dinner in the evening he let her know that Elena and Caroline had both been there, looking for her. They had been worried because she wasn't answering her phone. “I told them you need some time to yourself and you'll call them when you're ready. Blondie came back to bring you some clothes. I can take the bag upstairs if you want.”

The witch accepted the offer gratefully. It was more quiet here than in her dorm and she also felt safer somehow. A little guiltily she thought of the fact that she had barely set foot into her father's house since his death. And she hadn't called her mother yet. She wasn't even sure if Abby knew where she had been the last couple of month. But she pushed the thought aside. First she would concentrate on the spell and once she had gotten rid of Kai she could start working on getting her life back in order.

She worked long into the night and finally fell into bed in the early hours of the morning. But her sleep was restless and plagued by nightmares, in which Kai found out about her plan and chased her through her father's house with a bloody knife.

***

Damon spent the next morning doing completely unnecessary work around the house, cleaning out his wardrobe, re-organizing his liquor cabinet and trying in vain to concentrate on a book. He hadn't seen Alaric since last afternoon. The teacher had to work early and had therefore spent the night in his own flat. And Damon hadn't wanted to leave Bonnie unguarded. Stefan had left early this morning as well. To his brother's great surprise he had decided to compel himself into Whitmore college. But he had also told Damon that he would keep living at the boarding house. Bonnie had gotten up late and locked herself up in her room again after a quick breakfast.

The dark-haired vampire was glad when Luke returned in the afternoon to keep plotting the spell with Bonnie. He had no idea what the two were talking about, but listening to them kept him occupied at least. For some reason he felt jittery today. He couldn't shake the feeling that everything was going just a little too smoothly so far and that there was some big trouble ahead of them. And he had seldom hated being right so much.

About an hour after Luke's arrival his phone rang, which wasn't all that unusual in itself. The person calling was. Because instead of Liv, who's name had shown up on the screen, it was Kai. Damon froze when he heard his voice. “Really, Luke. I show you mercy and allow you to live and this is how you thank me? By plotting behind my back? I'm very disappointed in you.”

“I don't know what you're talking about. Why do you have Liv's phone? Did you harm her?” Luke asked nearly panicky. “No, no. She's fine. She's sitting right beside me. Say hello Livvie.” Kai sing-songed like he was talking to a child. “Luke, we're at the bar. He locked us in.” the blonde witch shouted. “What do you want? Why are you doing this?” Luke asked in desperation. “I told you. You're doing naughty things behind my back. I know where you are. And who you are meeting. I should take my anger out on Liv, don't you think? Or maybe on one of the other nice girls here. Hmm.. no, I'm feeling generous today. You've got one hour to get here. Maybe I'll only kill one of you then.” Before the blond could react, Kai had already hung up.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Negotiating with a maniac, a change in plan and confession time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so at first I was going to split this chapter in two, since it's pretty Long. But then I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer (you'll see for what). Of course that also means there are only two chapters left now.

Luke ran towards the door immediately, but Damon blurred into his path and stopped him. “Let me go. He's gonna kill my sister!” the warlock screamed. “And if you just barge in there he'll kill you both.” Damon argued. “He's right. You need a plan first.” Bonnie agreed. “We don't have time. We're not ready for the spell yet. You know that. I didn't even get all the herbs yet. And Kai knows that I'm here. With you. He got suspicious. I should have known he would keep an eye on me. And on you as well.”

“Then you've got to bluff. There are other reasons why you could be here.” Damon claimed. “Yeah, what reasons? Do you want me to tell him we're friends now? Or we're having an affair? He'll never believe it.” The vampire had to admit that he was right. They had never had much dealings so far. The fact that Luke had showed up at his house two days in a row was very suspicious. “I'll drive you and we'll think of something. But you've got to help me here, okay? And don't let the psycho get to you.” Damon ordered. When Bonnie tried to follow them he stopped her. “No way. You're staying here. Don't argue. I've seen how you react to Kai. Stay here, do your thing. We'll be fine.” The witch didn't look pleased at all, but she gave in reluctantly.

They got into Damon's Camaro and the vampire called Alaric. “Kai noticed something's off. He took Liv and a few others hostage. I'm on my way to the bar with our second wonder twin. But we could use some help.” he let his friend know. “I'm already on my way. Elena is one of the hostages. She just sent me a text.” the teacher replied with a sigh and Damon had to stifle a curse. Really typical. He should have guessed. Elena had always been a danger magnet. “Okay, we'll meet you there.” the dark-haired vampire hung up and pushed the speed limit, so they made it in time.

Luke was strangely silent during the drive, only staring out the window at the scenery flying by. But suddenly he asked: “You were at our old house, right? In Portland. You found it somehow.” The vampire stopped the car with squealing tires and looked at him. “Yeah, my buddy Enzo had a hunch and found the address. Why do you ask?” “I may have an idea.” the warlock answered vaguely and got out of the car.

Alaric was already waiting for them with Stefan by his side. “Please tell me you have a plan.” the teacher greeted them. “We do.” Luke claimed, before Damon had the chance to reply. The older Salvatore gave him a skeptical look. “Obviously we do.” Even if he had no idea. “We bluff, just like you said.” Luke started explaining. “I'm worried about my dad. He's gone into hiding and not even I know where to find him. You already found him once, so...”

“So you were hoping I could help you.” Damon finished the thought. “I threw you out of my house yesterday, but you're persistent. You came back today.” Stefan looked unsure. “Will he buy that?” he asked. “He has to. It's the best idea we have. And we're out of time.” Luke pointed out. The hour was up.

Without waiting for the vampires he went up to the bar, where Kai or someone else had put the “closed” sign up. The door opened without being touched and all four stepped inside warily. Luckily it had been a quiet day. There was only one table occupied by three crying, terrified girls. Liv was standing at the bar, shaking like a leaf, her eyes never straying from Kai, who was standing next to her with a bloody knife in hand. Elena was kneeling on the floor in front of him, pressing a bloody rag against the neck of another girl. “You have to give her some blood. Hurry.” she begged when she saw the three vampires.

Stefan tried to rush to her aid, but after taking one step he fell to his knees with a cry of pain, clutching his head. “Not so fast.” Kai chided. “She's dying! Please, Kai.” Elena sobbed. “She tried to escape. I told everybody not to move. I said don't move, didn't I? But she didn't listen.” the warlock grumbled. The three girls in the corner started sobbing even harder. “She has nothing to do with this. It's a family matter.” Luke spoke up.

Kai gave him a critical look. Then he shrugged and muttered: “Fine, if you insist.” Stefan got up again and rushed to Elena to heal the girl with his blood. Damon took Alaric's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. The teacher nodded his thanks and tried to communicate without words that he was fine. Even if the smell of blood drowned out every other smell in the room and awakened his hunger, he was in control. “There's more. More blood.” he realized with a start. “Yeah, that guy up there. Thought it would be a good idea to attack me. Idiot. Guess I was a bit angry, cause he kinda … exploded.” Kai said with a shrug.

“Let them go. They're not involved in this.” Luke pleaded, but Kai shook his head. “I don't think so. I put a binding spell around the bar. You can get in, but no-one gets out until I lift the spell. And I don't feel like lifting it.” he declared. “Why are you doing this? We didn't do anything to upset you.” the blond warlock claimed. “Nothing to upset me? Really, Luke? Did you really think I wouldn't find out about your secret meetings with Bonnie? What are you planning, huh?”

“What? No, we... we're not planning anything. I heard that she's back, but I haven't even seen Bonnie.” Damon had to admit that Luke played the clueless guy rather well. But Kai wasn't fooled so easily. “Don't lie to me. You were at the Salvatore house. And Bonnie was there too. I'm the almighty leader of the Gemini-coven, in case you've forgotten. Did you really think I wouldn't be keeping an eye on you?”

“Yes, I was there. But I didn't see Bonnie. I didn't even know she was there. I only saw Damon.” Luke continued his part. “Oh really? And what were you doing there? Tea party?” his brother mocked. “He was grating on my nerves, that's what he was doing.” Damon chimed in. “And after I've thrown him out yesterday, he came back earlier today to continue. Your brother is almost as annoying as you are. Must be a Gemini thing.” he grumbled. Kai was giving him a skeptical look, but Damon wasn't worried. He had long since mastered the art of deception and knew that his features would betray nothing.

“I asked him to help me find dad.” Luke admitted reluctantly, glancing at his sister. “I'm sorry. I should have told you. But we couldn't reach him and you were worried as well. I know that Damon has been to our house in Portland. I thought if he had found dad once, he could do it again.” Kai seemed about to fall for it, but he remained distrusting. “Okay, let's say I believe you. What about Bonnie? I know that she was there.” he insisted. “Of course she was there. She’s still there, hiding in my guestroom. Coming face to face with you traumatized her. I have to bring her food, because she won't even leave the room.” Damon snapped.

“You saw her reaction yesterday. She's completely traumatized.” Alaric agreed with him. “The last thing on her mind right now are evil plots with your brother.” Kai looked thoughtful. Finally he put down the knife. Alaric thought that was a good sign, until Damon crumbled to the floor with an anguished cry. The older Salvatore jerked like he was having a seizure and groaned in pain. Alaric realized in shock that blood was dripping out of his eyes. “What are you doing?! Stop it!” he snapped. “Not until I'm sure you're telling the truth.” Kai insisted. “No-one is lying to you. It is the truth, damn it. Now stop you sick, perverted...”

“Alright. No need to be rude.” the warlock chided, easing up on Damon. Alaric sank to his knees and pulled his friend into his arms. Damon was shaking and his breath came in short gasps, but he mumbled: “It's okay. Don't worry.” Elena sobbed quietly next to the injured girl. Stefan put a comforting arm around her.

“Okay, so that's cleared up then. You'll get rid of the body and clean up here, right?” Kai asked casually, walking towards the exit. “Oh and the spell is lifted. I've got other plans for today. But remember... I'm keeping an eye on you.” he warned, before disappearing. 

Damon got up with some difficulty and cast a worried look at the three still sobbing girls at the table. “We need to compel them, before they run for it.” Ric gave his shoulder gentle squeeze and nodded. “Stefan and I can do that. You should recover.” He walked over to the table and talked quietly to the girls, before compelling them to forget everything and leave. They wiped the tear-tracks off and walked out calmly. Stefan compelled the girl he had healed with his blood, told her to go home and get rid of her stained clothes and to make sure no-one saw her like this. Elena handed her a jacket to cover the blood.

Luke was hugging his sister, making sure she was okay. “What do we do now? He's going to keep an even closer eye on us now. We can't help Bonnie. I can't even give her the herbs she needs. We can't risk it.” Of course he was right. Even Damon had to admit that. They were lucky that Kai had believed their excuse once. “As far as I know Bonnie can handle the spell on her own, right?” he checked. “Yes, we talked everything through and there should be no trouble. But she needs the herbs and some blood from Liv and me.” the warlock explained.

“Okay, you can't bring her the stuff yourself. Guess we need a delivery boy.” the older Salvatore mused. “Kai is going to watch us carefully. Every contact out of the ordinary could set him off again.” Luke pointed out. Everyone thought about their dilemma. “How about Tyler?” Alaric asked after a while. “He's Liv's boyfriend, so there is nothing strange about them meeting. You can give the stuff to Liv and she can hand it to Tyler.”

“A good idea so far. But then Tyler goes running straight to Bonnie? Very suspicious.” Liv pointed out. The others had to agree with her. “And what if he doesn’t bring the stuff to Bonnie? He could deposit it somewhere and one of us could pick it up later.” the teacher suggested. “That could work. He could hide it in a stall in the restroom here and then I could pick it up and take it home.” Stefan agreed.

Liv was still unconvinced, but the younger Salvatore stuck to his idea. “It’s our best option.” he insisted. “Sounds a lot like a crappy spy movie to me, but Stefan is right. There’s nothing suspicious about using the restroom in a café.” Damon backed his brother. “He’s right.” Luke agreed. Liv was still hesitant, but in the end she gave in as well. “Okay. I'm going to call in sick for the rest of the day. Then I'll go to my dorm with Luke and call Tyler to let him know about the plan.”

***

Stefan got rid of the corpse Kai had left behind, while the others helped the twins to clean up. Afterwards Damon and Alaric said goodbye to Elena outside of the bar and went back to the boarding house to let Bonnie in on the plan. The witch assured them that she would be able to handle the spell on her own, once she had everything she needed.

The plan seemed to work so far, because about two hours later Stefan showed up with the stuff. “Okay, here is some blood from Liv and Luke and this are most of the herbs you will need. One is stilling missing, but Caroline is taking care of that.” he explained, before heading to his bedroom to study. Since all remained quiet, Kai didn’t seem suspicious yet.

The witch went to her room again to get ready. She wanted to complete the spell as soon as possible. Damon and Alaric went to the older vampire's bedroom as well. “And you're really okay?” the teacher asked for what felt like the hundredth time. “Yes, Ric. Honestly. Kai didn't really do anything Bon-Bon hasn't done quite a few times before.” Damon assured. “Your eyes were bleeding.” Ric reminded him, shuddering at the memory. “Because Kai is a little less subtle than good old Bon-Bon.”

Alaric walked over to Damon and pulled him into his arms. “I was fucking scared. I can't lose you again.” he whispered. “You won't lose me.” the dark-haired vampire promised. Ric's hand cupped the back of his neck and the teacher was staring at him intently. Damon's heart started hammering. Now or never. It was another perfect moment, but once again he couldn't get a word out. 

“Ric, I...” Damon whispered, but couldn't get any further. His throat felt too tight. Alaric smiled softly and looked into his eyes. “I love you, Damon.” The dark-haired vampire felt completely overwhelmed and could only stare at him. This wasn't what he'd planned. Ric was taking him totally by surprise here and it took some time until he found his voice again. Even then it was merely a whisper. “I love you, too.”

“I know.” the teacher mumbled, looking sheepish all of a sudden. “I overheard you talking to Bonnie.” he admitted. “You did what?” Damon snapped, trying to free himself from the teacher's strong grip, but Alaric wouldn't let go of him. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I just couldn't help it and.. I've been trying for weeks to work up the courage to finally tell you how I feel. Hearing that you actually feel the same was the kick in the butt I needed. I was waiting for the perfect moment. But then the whole thing with Kai was getting out of control and he hurt you and... Life's too short, Damon. I won't waste another second. I love you.”

Slowly a grin was spreading over Damon's face. “I think I could get used to hearing that.” he admitted, making Ric grin as well. “Then I'll have to tell you every day from now on. How does that sound?” “Sounds good.” Damon agreed, pulling his boyfriend (?) closer for a kiss.

***

Meanwhile Caroline trudged through the dark forest, grumbling under her breath when she stumbled over something. Damn it, she should have worn other shoes. Suddenly a figure appeared in front of her, illuminated by the flashlight and she had to bite back a scream. “Thank god, it's you.” she sighed in relief when she recognized him. “Were you expecting someone else, gorgeous?” Enzo asked with a smirk. “No, I... Oh I don't know.” she muttered. He was looking at her quizzically. “You sound stressed out. And you're late. You wanted me to meet you here about 20 minutes ago.” he reminded.

“Yeah, I got held up. I had a fight with Elena.” Just thinking about it made her anger rise again. She had only been trying to help after all. “What happened?” Enzo wanted to know. “Well, she had to cancel a date with Liam, thanks to Kai. And she had to lie about it of course. I mean, she could hardly tell him that a psychopathic warlock had taken her hostage.” the blonde started to explain. “Unfortunately Liam saw her in front of the bar. With Damon. He got angry and made a scene. He was behaving like a total dick and he said a few really mean things. Elena asked me to compel him to forget the thing with Damon. And since he was such a douche bag, I made him think he had forgotten about the date, not Elena. But instead of thanking me she got mad at me!”

“Why?” Enzo asked, really puzzled. “She wanted me to tell Liam they hadn't had a date or something like that, not make him feel guilty when he hadn't done anything. Seriously, I don't know what she sees in that guy. He's an arrogant prick!” Caroline growled. To think that Elena had tried to set her up with Liam once... Proved how well her friend really knew her.

“But never mind. We need to find that stupid herb now, so Bonnie can do her spell.” she finally changed the topic. She had already told Enzo all about it on the phone earlier. “Okay, what exactly are we looking for?” he asked. “Valerian. The witches got everything else. I've got a picture here on my phone and it says on Google that it grows in forest regions.” she explained, while showing him the picture. “Alright, let's find it then.”

For a few minutes they crept through the dark wood in silence, looking for the plant. “Why aren't the witches looking for it? They should know where to find it, right?” Enzo muttered after some time. “Kai is keeping an eye on them with his magic. They can't risk setting him off again.” Caroline pointed out. “I just hope he's not keeping an eye on us as well. I mean what reason could we have for creeping through the forest in the middle of the night?”

“A midnight pick-nick?” Enzo suggested. “Somewhere in the dark forest?” the blonde muttered skeptically. “We could eat a few campers. You can find those at night in a forest.” Caroline had to giggle despite herself. “Hey, I wasn't joking. Maybe we'll find some.” the dark-haired vampire joked. “I'd rather find that stupid herb now, so we can get out of here.” She really had better things to do with her time. And probably so had Enzo. But he was here, helping her. Once again. He had waited for her in a dark forest for over 20 minutes and he hadn't even complained about it.

“Hey, look over there. That's it, isn't it?” he asked suddenly. And really she could see the tiny white flowers they were looking for. Following a sudden impulse she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I should find herbs for you more often.” he commented with a grin. Caroline giggled and punched his arm. “That wasn't for the herbs, you fool. It was because.. you're helping me. Yet again. I only need to send you a text and you're there.”

“I told you, gorgeous. You call – or send me a text – and I come.” he reminded her. Suddenly he had this spooky intense look again, that always gave her goosebumps. Feeling off-balance she turned away and started cutting the herbs. She had no idea how to behave right now. Or what to say. “That should be enough, I think. At least I hope so. I'm not coming back for more. No-one told me exactly how much they need.” she babbled awkwardly.

They made their way back silently and she didn't dare to look at Enzo. “Where are you staying at right now?” Caroline finally broke the uncomfortable and awkward silence. “At a nice guesthouse, close to campus. It's rather cozy. But the owner is really annoying. Okay, so she does my laundry and cooks for me, but she keeps on gushing about Stefan, since he used to live there for a while. I think I'm going to eat her.” the dark-haired vampire claimed with a straight face. “But who would do your laundry then?” Caroline pointed out, playing along. “Good point.” he had to admit. 

They had reached the parking lot and she could practically feel his eyes on her. “Why don't you come with me? I can introduce you. Aside from her crush on Stefan she’s a rather nice, old lady.” She wasn't really surprised by the offer. More surprising was, how much she wanted to take him up on it. “I can't. I'm auditioning for a play tomorrow morning.” she said softly. Enzo didn't comment. He seemed resigned, like he had already expected her to shoot him down. “But I'm free tomorrow evening.” the blonde whispered. He grinned at her. “Awesome. Tomorrow evening, then.” he agreed.

Caroline took out her key and walked towards her car, but turned back to him at the last minute. “Every guy I ever fell in love with ended up breaking my heart.” she admitted quietly. Enzo walked up to her and gently brushed a stray lock out of her face. “There are no guarantees. I can promise nothing. Only that I will never hurt you intentionally.” he whispered honestly. The blonde looked into his beautiful brown eyes and finally made up her mind. She pulled him into another kiss and whispered: “Maybe that's enough. I'll see you tomorrow.” Enzo grinned. “I can hardly wait, gorgeous.”


	37. Chapter 37

The next morning was rather hectic. Alaric had spent the night at the boarding house and had to get up early to make it to college in time for work. “Just call in sick and stay here.” Damon suggested, but the teacher said no, making him pout and hide under the covers. Only seconds later the covers were pulled off and Ric dropped a quick kiss onto his lips. “I'll be back soon. I only have to work for a couple of hours today.” Damon blinked up at him. “And?” he prodded. The teacher grinned. “And I love you. But I really have to go now.”

Damon watched his boyfriend leave with a grin and heard how Ric almost ran into Bonnie on his way out. So the witch was already awake as well. After debating with himself for a moment he got up, got dressed and went to the kitchen, whistling happily to himself. Stefan was just brewing coffee, while Bonnie had started making pancakes. “Why are you already up? And why are you so damn cheerful?” the younger Salvatore asked skeptically. Bonnie on the other hand was grinning. “You told him, didn't you?” she guessed. “Yep, I told him.” Damon let her know. “And..?” she prodded, making him roll his eyes. “And as always you were right, Bon-Bon. Ric loves me too.”

A splintering sound made them look at Stefan, who had just dropped his cup and was staring at his brother in shock. “You.. Ric and... you.. Really?” he stammered. “Ric and I are together now, if that's what you're asking.” the older vampire explained, still grinning. “Oh.. okay, that's... wow. I'm happy for you.” his brother assured, adding under his breath that he owed Caroline 100,- bucks now.

After breakfast Stefan took his leave and headed to campus. Bonnie worked on the spell again, while Damon watched her, trying to kill time. “So.. when is the big hocus pocus gonna take place?” he asked after a while. “If everything goes according to plan – tonight.” the witch muttered. “I still need the Valerian, but Caroline promised to bring me some later. Then I would have all the herbs, blood from Kai and his siblings and also the full moon. In other words – everything I need to take Kai down.”

Around noon Caroline brought the promised herbs, so Bonnie retired to her room to meditate and get ready. Damon offered to bring her a sandwich later, but she told him she wasn't hungry. So he sat down on the couch to wait for Ric.

Only a few minutes later he heard the front-door, but it wasn't Alaric who entered. “What do you want? Don't you have to work or something like that?” he asked a little more harshly than planned. Elena dropped down into a seat opposite from him and fidgeted around restlessly. “I swapped my shift so I can go on a date with Liam later. And I'm here, because I .. wanted to talk.. to you. Or rather... ask you something.” she explained hesitantly. The dark-haired vampire stifled sigh. He really didn't feel like talking to his ex right now. She had probably heard about him and Ric and wanted to know if it was true. But maybe it would be best to just get it over with. “Fine. Ask away.”

Again she hesitated. Averted her eyes and started playing with her hair. It was a nervous habit of hers. “I had a date with Liam the other night.” she finally started and Damon wondered why she told him. “It was nice. We had dinner and saw a movie. Then he brought me home and told me, how happy he is with me. That.. scared me.” she admitted quietly. “And now you want me to compel him to leave you alone?” Damon guessed. “What? No! I didn't mean it like that. I.. like Liam.”

“Okay. Then where's your problem?” he asked. “I don't know. I guess I'm just.. unsure about it all. I'm afraid that it'll end in a break-up again. And… I just don’t know if I can take another one. I was really in love three times so far, you know?” I was really in love three times already, you know?” Damon still had no idea where this was going, but before he could ask she was already talking again: “The first time it was Matt. He was my first big love, with butterflies and everything.” She smiled a little wistfully.

“But.. no-one really marries the first guy they fall in love with, right?” she continued. “We just.. drifted apart. It happens all the time. So it's.. not really unusual. And then there was Stefan and it was .. like a fairy tale. Love at first sight. He was my hero. My soulmate. At least back then I thought so. But he was also a vampire and I never wanted to be one. And then I became one after all, but there was the chaos with the sire bond and my crazy feelings for you and... it was just too much. No relationship can survive something like that.”

“Probably not. But I still don't hear a question.” Damon interrupted. Elena sighed and finally looked at him. “Then there was you. I thought it would last forever. We seemed so perfect. But it ended. Badly. And it ended long before you died and came back and I became human again. So it wasn't all that. I just.. I just want to know why it ended. Was it my fault? Maybe I'm just not capable of binding myself to someone. I need to know if it was my fault, before I think about entering into a new relationship. Matt and Stefan I can explain somehow. But you and me... why didn't we work out?” She sounded really desperate.

“It was my fault. Because I never really loved you.” Damon whispered. Elena choked on a sob. “I'm sorry. I'm not saying that to hurt you or get back at you. It's the truth. I … was lying to myself. All the time.” he explained strangely honest. Maybe it was time to face the truth. He had started to realize all this back in the prison-world, thanks to Bonnie. He had finally admitted his true feelings for Alaric. And now he had to be honest with Elena as well.

“You were this.. perfect version of Katherine. Her beauty, but so innocent. So good and pure. I felt drawn to you, because of that. And later it was just easier to kid myself into thinking I had fallen in love with you, than admitting who I really wanted. Who I had really fallen in love with. With you at least I stood a chance, no matter how small. And that's why we didn't work out. Because my feelings for you were never real. I like you, Elena. But I never loved you.”

The brunette sniffled, but nodded bravely. “Thank you for your honesty.” she mumbled tearfully. Even if that honesty had completely shocked her. “Have you told Bonnie yet?” she asked then, trying – not very successfully - to make her voice sound light. “Told her what?” How did she know he had talked to Bonnie about all that? “Well... that you're in love with her, of course.” “What? What the hell makes you think I was talking about Bonnie?” Damon asked completely puzzled. “I just thought... After what you said... you've known that someone for a while, right? And you looked so comfortable together the other night. And she moved in with you...”

“We're friends. And she didn't move in, she's just staying for a while.” the dark-haired vampire explained. Really. Bonnie? What was she thinking? Elena nodded, seemingly relieved. “Okay. So.. who is it then? You can tell me. Is it... Caroline?” Damon sighed. “It's Ric. I'm in love with Ric.” 

Elena just stared at him. Opened and closed her mouth a few times, without a sound coming out. Damon started to get nervous under her stare, so he started babbling: “Maybe you could keep that to yourself for now. It's not really official yet. No-one knows. Well, Bonnie knows. Apparently she knew before I did and then she started pestering me to tell him. She's damn stubborn, you know? Oh and Stefan has known for a while now that we.. well. He barged in on us having sex a few times.”

Elena looked like she had been hit over the head. Hard. She was staring at him with wide eyes, not saying a word. Maybe he'd said too much. He hadn't really meant to say so much. It just .. sorta slipped. And as if the situation wasn't already awkward and uncomfortable enough, the front-door opened again and Alaric called cheerfully: “Honey, I'm home.” Damon couldn't stifle a grin. Elena on the other hand looked about ready to faint.

The teacher rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the brunette, who was staring at him like she had seen a ghost. The smile faded from his lips. “Oh, Elena. I .. didn't know you're here.” the teacher mumbled, looking to Damon for help. “I just told Elena about us.” the dark-haired vampire blurted, so Ric wouldn't think he had shocked Elena into silence. “You did...? Okay, sure. Why not? It would have been nice if you had asked me first, but hey, don't bother. Go on outing us both.” Alaric replied sarcastically.

“I didn't plan to, okay?” Damon defended himself. “She asked why we didn't work out. She seemed desperate. What did you want me to say? You're the one preaching honesty and all that shit.” he snapped. “You didn't have to tell her everything. Part of the truth would've been enough for now, don't you think?” Ric shot back.

Both vampires stopped quarreling when Elena gave a rather unladylike snort. “Somehow I shouldn't be surprised. You two have always been fighting like an old married couple.” she murmured, forcing an unconvincing smile to her lips. “I just didn't know that you're .. well... gay.” She blushed furiously, averting her eyes. “Not really gay. More like … flexible. You should know that.” Damon corrected. He had slept with her often enough, after all. And he also knew that she had caught Ric in bed with Jenna more than once.

“Yeah, whatever. But.. no, never mind. I should go now. Thank you for your honesty.” she ended the discussion, getting up quickly. Alaric followed her to the door. “Elena, I'm sorry. I would have told you in a quiet moment.” Damon had probably been ruthlessly honest. Sometimes he was as sensitive as a sledgehammer. “And you have to believe me, I never wanted to come between you and Damon. If your relationship had worked out, I would've been happy for you. Really.” he assured.

“I know.” the brunette whispered, opening the door. But she stopped at the last minute and turned back to her former guardian. “How long..?” she asked hesitantly. “We've been together for a few weeks now, if that's what you're asking. And how long have I been in love with him? I don't know. Just like you I denied it for a long time. I guess it was even before Jenna died.” Alaric admitted. Elena nodded, whispered: “Okay.” and left.

She went back to her dorm room and started getting ready for her date almost mechanically. The thought that her ex-boyfriend was now dating the guy, who was practically her stepfather was just too absurd to put into words. Too weird to wrap her mind around it. And yet it made sense. Damon and Alaric had always been close. Very close. Their relationship had always been a strange one. And at least she could find comfort in the fact that she wasn't responsible for her failed relationship. That was something, right?

Finally dressed up she made her way to the park, where Liam was already waiting for her with a bouquet of roses. He still felt guilty, because Caroline had compelled him into thinking he had forgotten their date. Elena was still mad at the blonde for that stunt. She thanked Liam for the flowers and smiled when he told her how beautiful she looked. He was really nice. “Shall we go then?” she asked, but instead of answering a weird look came over his face. “Liam? Is something wrong?”

She watched in shock how he grabbed his throat and started choking. Weakly gasping for breath he fell to the ground, where he lay twitching and wheezing. Elena was frozen to the spot. Her first thought was to rush over to him and heal him with her blood and for a second she cursed the fact that she wasn't a vampire anymore. But then she remembered what humans did in situations like this. She was going to be a doctor once. She knew what to do. Dropping down next to Liam, she pulled her phone out of her bag and started dialing 911.

But before she had finished, the phone was ripped out of her hands by an invisible force. It dropped down on the ground a few feet away. “No! Oh god, what...?” Eyes wide in shock she looked up into Kai's grinning face. “Hello, Elena. Missed me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, only one more chapter to go. I'm still surprised how long this fanfic turned out. Oh and I'm not sorry for being mean to Liam. I never liked that guy.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is the last chapter... I'm actually a bit sad now. And finding a good ending is always difficult for me. Especially with a Story this long. But I think I managed. Even if it's a bit of an open ending.
> 
> And before I forget: Thanks to everyone for the kudos and all the lovely comments.

Stefan brought the car to a halt with squealing tires and quickly jumped out. He looked around, before bringing his phone to his ear again. “Bon-Bon needs more time. Try to stall.” Damon ordered through the phone. “And how do you suggest I manage that? He has Elena, in case you've forgotten. And he threatened to kill her if we don't bring him Bonnie.”

About 20 minutes ago Kai had sent a text from Elena's phone to everyone, giving strict instructions. He was still suspicious and wanted to talk to Bonnie. Damon and Alaric had stayed back at the boarding house, where the witch would work her magic, while Stefan had rushed to Kai. “I don't know. Use your imagination.” Damon ordered really helpful. Stefan snorted in disgust and hung up, before running through the park in search of Elena. He found her near the fountain. She was sitting on the ground, Liam's head in her lap. The boy was unconscious and only his labored breathing showed that he was still alive. Kai was standing over them with a manic grin.

“You're not who I want to see.” he chided. “Bonnie... doesn't want to come. She's scared.” the younger Salvatore claimed. The warlock shook his head. “And you see, that's exactly what I don't believe. I know Bonnie. I spent a lot of time with her. I shot her and she got up again and ran for it. I caught her and she tricked me, by getting rid of her magic to prevent my escape. She always fought back. And now she is suddenly so scared of me that she's hiding? I don't buy that. You're planning something nasty, right? Trying to get rid of me, yeah?”

“Sorry, mate. You think too high of yourself.” a new voice joined the discussion. Stefan bit back a groan. He probably should have known that Caroline would bring Enzo. Lately he seemed to appear wherever she was. “You're one of those guys who think the world revolves around them, right?” Enzo mused. “I'm the guy who knows that he's a danger to you.” Kai corrected. “And who are you again?”

“I'm the guy who's still pissed at you for trying to use my girlfriend as magical guinea pig.” the vampire shot back. Stefan glanced at Caroline, who didn't seem at all bothered by the girlfriend commentary. Had he missed something? “Oh, yes. The blonde one. That wasn't personal. The new, nicer me might even apologize. If I weren't so busy trying to uncover your plans.” the warlock claimed. “You seriously think we all conspired against you? Sorry, but you're totally paranoid. Like we didn't have better things to do.” Caroline chimed in.

Stefan took a step towards Elena, wanting to help Liam, but Kai noticed. “Ah-ah. Stay where you are. If you want to save him, get Bonnie here. Or I'll make sure he chokes to death on his own blood. And Elena will be next.” he threatened. The younger Salvatore cast a worried glance at Caroline, but she seemed out of ideas as well and even Enzo appeared to be speechless for once. What the hell was taking Bonnie so long?

***

“How much longer, Bon-Bon? We're running out of time.” Damon reminded. The witch was sitting cross-legged on the floor of his living-room, surrounded by candles and with a strange pot and various herbs in front of her. “I have to wait for the moon to align or this won't work.” she explained for what felt like the hundredth time. The dark-haired vampire started pacing nervously. Alaric stood in the doorway, watching him. They could only hope that Stefan would be able to stall Kai for a while.

“It's time.” Bonnie said finally, some tense minutes later. With a soft hissing sound the candles flickered to life. She took the first bundle of herbs, placed it into the pot and murmured the first part of the incantation, completely ignoring the two vampires watching her. Her concentration was focused only on the spell. The next bundle of herbs followed, the next part of the incantation. When all herbs were in the pot she whispered: “Phesmatos incendia.“ and watched them catch fire. Smoke was rising over the pot and the room filled with a spicy scent. She barely noticed any of it.

Bonnie waited a few seconds. Then she took the handkerchief with Kai's blood and put it into the pot, before murmuring the next part of the incantation. Again she waited, before adding the last ingredient. Slowly she opened the small flask and poured the red liquid into the pot as well. Blood from Liv and Luke, to bind the spell. The smoke turned pink, then red when she finally murmured the last part and sealed the spell. When the fire died down the magic would take effect. If everything went according to plan.

***

“Okay, I've waited long enough. It looks like you're not taking me seriously. Time to change that.” Kai growled after looking at his watch. He set his eyes on Liam, who started twitching uncontrollably in response. Blood was leaking from his eyes and mouth. “No, please don't. Please, stop!” Elena begged. “Kai, stop it! Leave him alone!” another voice ordered. Liv and Luke had arrived on the scene. “You can't keep torturing innocent people every time you feel insecure. Jo wouldn't have wanted that.” Luke tried to placate to his brother.

“I don't care what Jo would have wanted. I won the merge! Not her! I'm the leader! Not Jo! And you have to bow to my will!” Kai shouted. Luke held up his hands in surrender. “We know. You're the leader of the coven. No one denies that. And this is about the coven, is it not? Liam and Elena don't have anything to do with this. Let them go.” he asked. The dark-haired warlock looked thoughtful for a moment and finally stopped hurting Liam. “Maybe you're right. It's a family matter.” he murmured, turning to his brother. “Which means I should take my anger out on you.”

Luke cried out in pain and dropped to his knees. Writhing and whimpering in agony he pressed both hands against his temples. Liv rushed to his side and pulled him helplessly into her arms. “Kai, stop it. Stop! Please.” But Kai only laughed at her pleas. “No. Tell Bonnie to get her ass here. Until she does I'll have some fun with little Luke. Let's see how long he survives.” Liv looked up at him with hate-filled eyes. Without warning she pointed her hand at him and cried: “Motus!” Taken by surprise Kai didn't have time to react. Liv's spell threw him backwards, where he landed hard on the ground and lay motionless.

Stefan took the chance to rush to Elena's side and heal Liam with his blood. It was a close call, but the boy seemed to recover. Liv helped her twin up and made sure he wasn't badly hurt. “I'm okay, don't worry.” he assured a little breathless. Then his eyes slid to Kai, who was still lying unmoving on the floor. Enzo crept closer and looked down at him. “Looks like you knocked him out.” he announced. The twins moved closer as well. “Did Liv.. do that, or...?” Caroline asked hesitantly. “I'm not sure.” Luke had to admit.

Stefan pulled out his phone and called his brother. “Did it work?” Damon greeted him. “If you mean, is Kai lying on the ground, seemingly knocked out, then yes, it worked.” Stefan muttered. He heard his brother talking to Bonnie, before assuring: “Yep, it worked then. Tell the wonder twins to get Kai to the old cemetery. We'll meet them there.” he ordered and had already hung up before Stefan could reply. With a sigh he passed the message on.

The twins didn't ask questions. With a little help from Enzo they packed Kai into the trunk of Liv's car and drove off. Liam had recovered in the meantime. He was sitting at the edge of the fountain, staring off into space, while Caroline was waiting for orders from Elena on what to make him believe. The brunette hesitated and turned to Stefan. “How did you know you could trust me?” The younger Salvatore gave her a puzzled look. “When you told me that you're a vampire and all that. How did you know you could trust me with that secret?” she clarified. “That was easy. I was in love with you. I wanted you to know everything.”

Elena gave Liam a thoughtful look. A resigned sigh passed her lips. “Tell him we had a date that went horribly wrong. Even more than the last one. We tried, but it just didn't work out, so we decided to break up.” she said finally. “Are you sure?” Caroline prodded. “Yes, I'm sure. Tell him I'll see him at work. We'll say hi then, maybe talk a little, but that's it.” She turned away while the blonde compelled Liam and sent him off. Stefan followed Elena, who took a seat on a nearby bench.

“My life will always be haunted by the supernatural. The fact that I'm human again doesn't change that. My best friends are vampires and witches and I'm still the doppelganger. That will never change. Even if Kai is gone, it won't be over. Sooner or later he would have to know the truth. And I don't think I trust him enough.” she whispered. Stefan put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned against him. “Maybe it's better you ended it right now, if you felt that way. You're going to find your Mister Right one day.” he tried to cheer her up. “You really think so?”

“I do. You just have to keep looking. You've got time. And one day you will find someone who accepts you fully, with all the supernatural crap.” The brunette nodded slowly. “Maybe it was just too soon. After the roller coaster of emotions I had with Damon.. maybe I just need some time to myself. To find out what I really want. I think I'll concentrate on college for now.” she decided. “Sounds like a plan. Guess I'll do the same.”Stefan agreed, before asking: “Wanna go for a drink?” Elena smiled. “Yes, definitely.”

They had just gotten up when Caroline joined them. “I'm so sorry about Liam. If you want we could go back to our dorm, eat ice-cream and watch movies.” she offered. “Thanks, that's sweet of you. But I wanted to go out for a drink with Stefan. And you have other plans, don't you?” Elena asked, casting a pointed look in Enzo's direction. “I do, but if you need me...” “No, it's okay. I'm good.” the brunette assured. “Okay, but you can call me anytime, if you need me. But if you're sure.. I probably won't come home tonight.” Caroline admitted sheepishly. “Go on. Have fun.” Elena urged.

She and Stefan watched the blonde run back to Enzo, take his arm and disappear into the night with him. “I guess, I should have seen that coming.” Elena muttered. The younger Salvatore sighed in defeat. “Yeah, you're probably right.” He still didn't like it, but he would have to accept it. And maybe Enzo could really change for the better. If someone could make him, it would be Caroline. “Come on, let's go.”

***

Meanwhile Liv and Luke had arrived at the cemetery, where Bonnie, Damon and Alaric were already waiting. The two vampires pulled the still unconscious Kai out of the car and carried him into an old family crypt, like Bonnie had told them. “What exactly did you do to him?” the teacher asked, after they had closed the crypt behind Kai. “It's some sort of deep sleep. Like a coma, just magical. He's sort of frozen in time. I bound the spell to Liv and Luke, which means he will wake up again once they are dead. And with a little luck there'll be a new leader of the Gemini-coven by then.” the witch explained. “Bonnie thought we could hide him in this old crypt and conceal it with magic, so no-one finds him or harms him by accident.” Luke added. 

“That reminds me... I guess you want that back, right?” Ric asked, holding up the locket with Luke's magic in it. “I found it in Kai's pocket.” Luke took the locket with trembling fingers and breathed a sigh of relief when he had taken his magic back into himself. “Thank you. For everything.” he murmured.

“Hey, I think we're a good team.” Bonnie said with a shrug. “And I'll leave the cloaking spell to you. That's your specialty, isn't it?” The twins looked at each other and smiled. Together they did the spell and the crypt vanished from sight.

“Okay, we'll head back to campus then. Since our psychopath of a brother is no longer a threat to us and we don't have to merge either, we can concentrate on college again.” Luke decided. “I think I'll concentrate on Tyler for now.” his sister added, making him roll his eyes. “Can you give me a ride?” Bonnie asked suddenly. “Yeah, sure.”

“Great. I'll join you in a minute, okay?” The twins understood the unspoken question and waited by the car, while Bonnie turned to the vampires. “Are you sure you want to go back? You can stay at the boarding house as long as you like.” Damon assured. “Thanks, but no thanks. Kai can't hurt me anymore. It's time I get my life back.” the witch said decisively. “But maybe I'll leave some clothes at the boarding house for now. Just in case I want some peace and quiet.” Damon told her it would be no problem. Her room would be waiting and she'd be welcome anytime. Alaric smirked. “And I expect to see you in class on Monday.”   
“I'll be there.” the witch promised.

***

“She'll be okay, right?” Damon asked a couple of hours later, lying in bed with Ric. “Of course she will. She's tough. And she has a lot of friends to help her if need be.” the teacher murmured. “Hmm. You know, I'm kinda glad she went back to her dorm and we're rid of her now.” the dark-haired vampire mused. “One less person who can walk in at the most inopportune moment.” Ric agreed. “Exactly. Hey, that means we could have sex in the kitchen now. Or in the library. Or...” Alaric grinned and silenced his boyfriend with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So when they turned Elena into sleeping Beauty on the show, I thought the idea was totally stupid. I still think that, because thanks to that fact it's still way too much Delena-Drama and I was so hoping they'd just kill her and be done with it, but ... whatever. For this story I thought it was the perfect way to get rid of Kai. And in the end, everyone's happy. Well, maybe except Elena and Liam, but who cares?


End file.
